course will be hindered Indeed as God could preserve our bodies without food or any sustenance by his omnipotent power as he did Moses and Elijah forty days together but he will not where he affordeth ordinary means So he could preserve our souls in life without ordinances but he will not where his providence giveth us opportunity to enjoy them Reader I must say to thee as Iacob to the Patriarchs Behold I have heard that there is Corn in Egypt get you down thither and buy for us that we may live and not dye Behold thou hast heard there is spiritual food in Heaven the Son of Ioseph hath his granaries full of Corn go thou thither daily by sacred duties that thy soul may live and not dye There is a sensible decay of the strength in Husbandmen whose work is great upon one days abstinence If tradesmen grow careless of their business and neglect their Shops they quickly decay in their estates When Christians grow careless of duties and neglect their Closets t is no wonder that they decline in their spiritual stocks When the Moon hath her open side downward she decreaseth but when her open side is upwards towards Heaven she increaseth in light There is no growing in grace and holiness but by conversing with Heaven Grace like Armour may easily be kept bright if it be daily used but if it hang by the wall it will quickly rust and cost much time and pains to scoure Much fasting takes away the stomach and omission of Closet duties at one time makes a man more backward to them and dead about them another time When a Scholar hath plaid the Truant one day its difficult to bring him to School the next day Fear and Shame both keep him back when he comes thither he is the more untoward about his book Our deceitful hearts after they have discontinued holy exercises and are broken loose are like horses gotten out of their bounds not found or brought back without much trouble When an instrument is daily plaid on it s kept in order but if it be but a while neglected and cast into a corner the strings are apt to break the frets to crack the bridge to flye off and no small trouble and stir is requisite to bring it into order again We read of the Iews daily sacrifice which was Morning and Evening Exod. 29. 38. and 30. 7 8. David was for Morning and Eveningâ— and Noon-tide Psa. 55. 17. Daniel was three times a day upon his knees Dan. 6. 10. In the Morning the Saints were at their devotion which is thought to be the third hour when the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles Act. 2. 15. This is deemed to be our ninth hour The midle or mid day prayer was termed the sixth hour which is our twelfth Ioh. 4. 6. At this time Peter went up to the house top to pray Act. 10. 9. The evening Prayer was at the ninth hour which is our three a clock in the After-noon Now Peter and John went up together into the Temple at the hour of prayer being the ninth hour Act. 3. 1. So Cornelius Act. 10. 30. At the ninth hour I prayed in my house Some think the Primitive Christians had these three hours in such regard and use that thence they were termed Canonical hours David tells us Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgements Psa. 119. 164. The more frequent a Christian is at holy duties supposing he doth not make the commands of God to interfere and neglect his calling and family when his presence is required in them the more thriving he shall be in his spiritual trade The oftener we go to the Fountain or River the more water we bring thence As Runners in a Race do daily diet their bodies and use exercise to keep themselves in breath that they may be more able and active when they run for the wager whereas if they should neglect it they would grow pursie and shortwinded and unlikely to hold out when they run for the Garland So Christians who would hold out to the end and so run as to obtain must be daily feeding and dieting their souls and renewing their strength by these means which God hath appointed As the Sun is the cause of life and groweth in vegetables so is the Son of God the efficient cause of motion and growth in Christians where the Son is present in any soul there is spiritual moâ—ion and growth budding and blossoming and bearing fruit but when the Sun with-holds and with-draws when this Sun departs the soul is at a stand Now Ordinances are the means whereby the Mediatour conveys heat and life and growth to men CHAP. XI Means whereby Christians may exercise themselves to Godliness Frequent Meditation of the day of judgement A daily Examination of our hearts Avoiding the Occasions and Suppressing the beginnings of Sin SEvently If thou wouldst exercise thy self to Godliness Meditate much upon the day of Iudgement They will prepare themselves best to the battel who always hear the sound of the last trump in their ears Zisea that valiant Captain of the Bohemians commanded his Country-men to flea off his skin when he was dead and to make a Drum of it Which use saith he when ye go to battel and the sound of it will drive away the Hungarians or any of your enemies Could the Christian but with Ierom hear the sound of the last trumpet in his ears at all times it would encourage him in his spiritual warfare and enable him to fight manfully and to cause the enemies of his salvation to flee before him He who can frequently by faith view the Judge sitting on his Throne of Glory hear the last trumpet sounding behold the dead raised the books opened the godly examined by the Covenant of grace all their duties graces services sufferings publiquely declared approved and rewarded the wicked tried by the Law of works all their natural defilements actual transgressions in thought word and deed which ever they were guilty of with their crimson bloody circumstances openly revealed their persons righteously sentenced to the vengeance of the eternal fire and that sentence speedily without the least favour or delay executed on them will surely loath sin as that which brings him certain shame and torment and follow after holiness which will be his undoubted credit and comfort at that day The Apostle writing to the Iews concerning the terror of that day how the Heavens must pass away with a great noise and the Elements melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works therein burnt up makes this use of it Seeing then that all those things shall be dissolved What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness And again Wherefore beloved seeing ye look for these things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameness He had need to be exact in his conversation who must
Justice Vide Righteousness K THe Knowledge of God a special means of godliness 802 Subjects should pay tribute to their King 38 39 L LIfe is uncertain 490 Life is short 838 Love should be among Christians 2â—5 Why the Commandment of Love is called a new Commandment 236 The fervency of Christs prayer for love 237 Sad effects of want of love among Christians 239 M MEans whereby Christians may exercise themselves to godliness 695 A good Foundation 696 Living by Faith 746 Setting God before our eyes 729 A constant watchfulness 734 Meditation of our dying day 745 Dayly solemn performance of holy duties 756 Frequent thoughts of the day of judgement 765 Calling our selves often to account 780 Avoiding occasions of sin 787 Walking humbly 793 Suppressing sin in the beginning 799 The knowledge of God 801 A contented frame of spirit 809 Avoiding those things that hinder godliness 819 Meditation useful 388 What set Meditation is 389 to 396 An example of set Meditation on the Word of God 398 Another example on the patience of God 466 It s a christians duty to be meek 42 The excellency of meekness 43 Meekness a sign of a wise man 44 The Christians meekness should not hinder his zeal for God 46,47 A meek man a good Neighbour in what respects 48 49. N NAture is corrupted and must be renewed 571 O OCcasions of sin must be avoided 787 Obedience must be universal 8 9 P PAtience of God wonderful 467 Gods Patience amplified in twelve considerations 467 to 476 The causes of Gods patience 476,477 The Application of Gods patience 485 The vanity of Pride 795,796 Christians must look to the Principles of their ordinary actions 50 51 Men must pay what they owe. 20 Payments must be in good money 21 Q ITs good for Christians sometimes to put Questions to their own souls 524 The manner how they should do it 546 547 The benefit of it in four particulars 525 526 R REgeneration necessary 695 Christians should rejoyce in others graces 308 The credit of Religion much engaged in a Christians publique dealings 11 to 61 It s the duty of Saints to reprove them that sin 165 188 285 286 Reproof must be given seriously seasonably prudently compassionately 191 to 204 It s a Christians duty to take a reproof kindly 302 to 306 Christians ought to be righteous in their dealings with all men 15 In their works 16,64,65 In buying 17 18 19 Wherein Righteousness in buying consisteth 20 21,65 Christians ought to be righteous in selling 22 Wherein it consisteth 23 24,25,66,67 The general rule of righteousness 27,69 Christianâ— ought to be righteous in their words 34,70 S SAtan a strong crafty industrious and cruel enemy 336 to 339 Sinful shame what 174 Christians must be righteous in selling 22 It s a sin to work upon the ignorance or poverty of the Seller 18 19 Its a duty to visit the sick 554 557 Great caution about it 555 It s a special season of doing and receiving good 559 560 It may be the last opportunity 565 We must be acquainted with the state of sick persons souls 568 Sutable application must be made to the sick 570 Five things cheifly to be insisted on to the carnal sick 571 to 576 How to apply our selves to civil men in sickness 577 Three great lessons all should learn by sickness 579 How to apply our selves to Saints in their sickness 578 We must deal faithfully with the sick 581 It s a duty to pray with and for the sick 582 Much good may be gotten by visiting the sick 584 We may learn our own frailty the worth of health the price of time the excellency of grace 585 to 588 Sinful silence what 165 What it is to be silent in evil times 168 Sin to be suppressed in the beginning 799 Open sins worse then secret in a threefold respect 13 God hates sin 467 How many ways we may partake of other mens sins by provocation complyance Silence 164 165 186 No true friendship betwixt Saints and Sinners 104 108 141 142 Christians should be careful of their carriage amongst sinners 155 Christians should not needlesly accompany with sinners 111. Vide company In what respect Sinners are said to be without 155 Sinners joyn hand in hand to oppose the interest and Kingdom of Christ. 153 What it is to sit with vain persons 112 Slothful Christians must be quickened 282 Soliloquies a duty 432 It s a Christians duty to be holy in Solitude 354,355 The danger of neglecting our watch in Solitude 362 The great benefit of seasonable Solitude 357 To make conscience of our carriage in Solitude is a good sign of sincerity 365. Wherein it consisteth 369 c. In guarding the heart against vain thoughts 369 In spiritualizing earthly objects 372 In solemn Meditations 388 In Soliloquies 432 Secret Ejaculations 435 The evil of needless Solitude 257 The sorrowful must be comforted 283 T CHristians must be thankful for restraining grace 180 181 Vain thoughts must be watcht against 369 Time is precious and must be redeemed 263,264,578 Trees teach men ten lessons 460 to 464 V VAin thoughts what 370 Unrighteousness a sign of Hypocrisie 7,8 58 The folly of unrighteous men 25 28 to 34 W THe life of man compared to a Walk 1 The life of a Christian to a walk with God 2 In what respects a Christians life is said to be a walking in the light 2,3 Christians must watch 514 Watchfulness requisite in evil company 155 160 161 Watchfulness a great help to Godliness 734 Great reason for watchfulness 741 We must watch against sin 741. for doing good ibid. in duties 742. after duties ibid. our senses ibid. our tongues 743. our heart especially 744 Every Week-day to be devoted to God 488 Motives to it 490 to 496. Wherein it consisteth In beginning the day with God 496 Diligence in our callings 511 Redeeming time 518 Constant watchfulness 514 Self Examination 523 Evening duties 527 Our words should be the language of our hearts 34 The excellency of the Word of God largely described in its four causes 398 c. The Word of God is true 412. holy 408. perfect 411. powerful 410 Why the Word of God is compared to light 416 Why to rain 419 World not to be loved 821 The vanity of worldly things 824 Worldly things unsutable to our souls 8. 8. unsatisfying 830. deceitful 828. vexatious 832. Z ZEal what it is 179 Christians should be Zealous ibid. FINIS These Books following are Printed for and sold by Thomas Park-hurst as the three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side over-against the great Conduit Folio's THe History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piedmont By Sam. Mâ—rland A Commentary upon Iob Psalms Proverbs Ecclâ—siâ—stes and the Song of Songs By Iohn Mayâ—r Exemplary Novels a famous Romance An Exposition upon the first Epistle of Iohn By Iohn Cotton An Exposition upon the second Epistle to the Corinthians By Rich. Sibs The bowels of tender mercy sealed
will be the more faithful all day when it knoweth before-hand that it shall be called to an account at night and the more conscientious we are in the day the more chearful we shall be at night Seneca reports of Sextius the Roman Philosopher that every night before he took his rest he would examine his soul Quod hodie malum sanasti Cui vitio obstitisti In qua parte melior es What evil hast thou this day healed what vice hast thou resisted in what part art thou bettered and then he addeth how sweet is the sleep which ensueth upon such a review As the Shop-keeper hath his day-book wherein he writes down what he buyeth what he selleth which he looks over in the evening so must the Christian that would thrive in his general calling at night reflect upon his well-doing his ill-doings his gains his losses left his books cast him up as some find by experience because he will not take the pains to cast them up The Merchant findeth it a ready way to make his Factours and Cash-keepers faithful to reckon with them frequently When great persons neglect to account with their Stewards they tempt them to be dishonest Our consciences are corrupted as well as other faculties and will be false if not timely examined Seneca acquaints us with his own practice which may shame many Christians Vtor hac potestate quotidie apud me causam dico Cum sublatum e conspectu lumen est conticuit â—xor moris jam â—ei conscia totum diem mecum scâ—utor facta ac dicta mea remetior Nihil mihi ipse abscondo nihil transeo quare enim quicquam ex erroribus meis timeam cum possim dicere Vide ne istud amplius facias nunc tibi ignosco In illa disputatione pugnacius locutus es Illum liberius admonuisti quam debebas itaque non emendasti sed offendisti I use saith he this authority and daily plead my cause with my self When the candle is taken away and my Wife acquainted with my custom is silent I search into the whole day and review all that I have said or done I hide nothing from my own scrutiny I pass by nothing For why should I fear any thing by reason of my errors when I can say See that thou do it no more and for this time I will pardon thee c. Pythagoras taught his Scholars to talk thus with themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What evil have I committed what good have I omitted Reader let not them who knew not God rise up in judgement against thee Put every night some brief Qâ—eries to thy conscience upon these few heads How did I behave my self in Religious Duties in Natural Actions in my Particular Calling in Recreations if any were used in Company and in Solitude Compare the carriage of thy heart and life herein to the word and law of God bring all to the touchstone Hereby 1. Sin will be prevented The Child will be the more dutiful and diligent all day who expecteth to be examined by them that have power to punish or reward for every part of it at night The Christian will keep his heart as clean as the neat maid her house who is ever in fear of a severe mistress 2. Hereby if sin be committed it will speedily be repented of The wound will be healed before it be festered A disease is much more easily cured at the beginning then when it is habituated in the body Had David called his conscience to a serious account at the close of that day wherein he defiled Bathsheba he had prevented both much sin and much sorrow 3. Our hearts will hereby be the better prepared for evening duties The reflection upon the sins committed in the day past will make the streams of our sorrow to run the more freely Wounds when fresh bleed most Our Petitions also will be the more fervent for divine strength when we are newly affected with the sad consequence of our own weakness The more we feel our pain the more urgent are our cries for a Physitian A review of the mercies newly received will likewise enlarge our hearts the more in thankâ—fulness Divine favours like flowers affect us most when fresh and green Old courtesies as old cloaths are too often cast by and thought little worth 4. Hereby our souls will be always ready for our great accounts whenever God shall summon us to give it up The keeping a diary of Receipts and disbursements facilitates the Stewards annual reckoning with his Lord. They who make all even between God and their souls every day need not fear calling to account any day None will give up their accounts with such comfort at the great day as they that cast up their accounts with conscience every day Often reckoning will make long friends He that will not hear the warnings of conscience must look to feel the worm of conscience Sixthly Close the day with God in Praying and Reading his word both in thy Closet and Family Our bed is resembled to our graves sleep to death it s of worse consequence to go to bed before we have made our prayers then to our Graves before we have made our Wills God is the first and the last and ought to be the beginning and ending of every day Thou causest the out-goings of the morning and evening to rejoyce Some understand the inhabitants of East and West others the vicissitudes of day and night for which men rejoyce in God David was mindful of the Word at night I have remembred thy law O Lord in the night and also of prayer Evening and morning will I pray and cry aloud Psal. 119. 55. Psal. 55. 17. The sins of the day call for our mournful confession The mercies of the day call for our sincere thanksgiving The perills of the night call for fervent petitions so that none can want matter for a nights prayer Our wandrings and aberrations in the day may wellengage us to confession and contrition every night They who do not paddle in every gutter or thrust their hands into every ditch though they washed clean in the morning find them durty at night We cannot meddle with money but we foul our fingers nor about earthly affairs but we defile our soul. Infirmity bewrayeth it self in all the actions of fallen man We are steady in nothing but wantonness and wickedness The feet of men limp at best and are too slow to follow the Word of God close at the heels If we intend well in any action like arrows that are shot in mighty windsâ— we wander from the bow that sent it and miss the mark Now whilst the Ship leaketh the Pump must go Whilst we sin daily we must sorrow daily He is unworthy of the least favour from his Creditor who thinks much to acknowledge his debt Austin had Davids penitential Psalms written by his Bed-side which at night he used to weep and read to read and
Chaff that the Storm carrieth away I flie away as a dream and shall not be found my life is chased away as a vision of the night The eyes which have seen me shall see me no more neither shall my place any more behold me I must live now or never If I die I shall not live again O that all the days of my appointed time I could wait till my change cometh Were I to take my leave of the world this night and were my life to end with the day how then would I spend every hour every moment of it Should I lavish away my time about this or that vanity Would I play it away in vain company Would I neglect my spiritual watch or waste my talents upon trifles should I dally about secret or private duties or be careless of my carriage in my calling would I starve my immortal soul or cast off all care of eternity No but I should all the day long act by the square and rule of the word How serious should I be in praying in reading in working for my soul for my salvation how diligent to do all the good I could to receive all the good I might how watchful to catch at and embrace all opportunities of honouring and serving my Maker and Redeemer because my time is short and I must pray and read and work for eternity now or no more no more for ever And why should I not be as holy though I do not know that I shall die this night when I know not but I may die this night How foolish is he who neglects doing his work till his work is past doing Besides Other creatures are constant and unwearied in serving their maker they are every day all the day long in their stations obedient to his commands If I look to Heaven to Earth to inanimate to irrational creatures I behold them all as so many Souldiers in their several ranks exactly and continually subject to the orders which they receive from the Lord of hosts and shall I be shamed by them I am at present more indebted more intrusted by God I have a reward hereafter of joy to encourage me of pain to provoke me to unweariedness in well doing which they neither hope nor fear Lord I live every moment upon thee why should I not live every moment to thee My life is by thy providence O that it were according to thy precepts I would not be thine hireling to serve thee meerly for wages thou thy self art my exceeding great reward but I would be thy days-man to work for thee by the day every day all the day long O help me to live well in time that I may live well eternally Let every day be so devoted to thy praise and every part of it so imployed in thy service that I may be the more fitted to please and woâ—â—â—ip thee in that place where there is no night yet all rest no Sun yet all day all light all joy where I shall have no meat or drink or sleep or shop or flocks or family and which is best of all no unbeleiving selfish carnal heart to call me from or hinder me in thy work but I shall worship and enjoy thee without diversion without distraction without interruption without intermission both perfectly and perpetually Amen CHAP. VII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in visiting the Sick FIfthly Thy duty is to exercise thy self in visiting the sick The Visitation of the sick is a work of as great weight as any injoyned us relating to others and as much neglected and slighted in its management as almost any duty commanded Sickness is so common and Death so ordinary that with most their frequency takes away the sense of them and charity in many sickens and dieth as fast as others bodies The generality of pretended Christians like the Priest and the Levite if they see a man wounded both in his body and soul though it be to death pass on the other side of the way not caring to meddle with any that are in misery They tell us they are true members of Christ but like a bag of suppurated blood they feel nothing neither have any communion with the body Many on their dying beds whose souls are worse and more dangerously sick then their bodies may speak to their Minister or Neighbour for the duty belongs to the People as well as the Pastor almost in the words of Martha to Christ Sir If thou hadst been here my soul had not dyed Some visite the sick but rather out of a complement then out of conscience or to profit themselves more then their Neighbours The Ingenuous Heathen Seneca will tell such If a man visit his sick friend and watch at his Pillow for charity sake and out of his old affection we approve it but if for a Legacy he is a Vulture and watcheth onely for the carcass The discourse of these is chiefly about worldly affairs and nothing about the great concernments of eternity Others sometimes go about the work but perform it so ill administring Cordials when there is need of Corrosives sowing Pillows under their sick friends heads that they may die easily or if they tell them of their danger they do it so coldly and carelesly and by halves that as he said there is diseaseâ— their soul-sickness is curable but the unsutable medicines they take make it incurable It may be said of many a soul as Adrians Counsellers said of him Multitudo medicorum c. Many Physitians have killed the Emperour Ah! How dreadful is it when unskilful and unfaithful Mountebanks undertake to tamper and trifle with immortal souls that are just entring into their eternal estates Father forgive them they know not what they do Galen saith in respect of bodily Medicines In medicina nihil exiguum There is nothing small in Physick Every thing in it is of great consequence A little mistake may cause death I may upon greater reason say There is nothing little in spiritual Physick A small error in our prescriptions to sick souls may cause dreadful mischief Instead of curing we may kill the patient Hazaels wet cloth was not more deadly to his Masters body then the discourse of most is to their sick neighbours souls Fear of displeasing and a natural propensity to flatter prevail with too many to sooth their dying friends into unquenchable flames But surely there is more love as well as more faithfulness in frighting a sick person out of his spiritual Lethargy then in fawning him into the eternal lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone Some venemous creatures tickle a man till he laughs even when they sting him to death so doth the flattering Minister or Neighbour he raiseth a sick man void of grace to the Pinnacle of joy and highest hopes of Heaven and thereby throweth him down into the Culph of irrecoverable sorrows and leaves him to undeceive himself in hell I shall first lay down two or three
Joseph shall send to convey me to the true Goshen I Wish that I may with patience submit on my dying bed to the divine pleasure It hath been far from some Moralists to murmure either at the extremity of their sickness or the necessity of dying By impatience I do not help but rather kill my self before-hand It s the general lot of mankind to sickeâ— and dye Am I angry that I am a man that I am mortal Because I know that I must be sick and dye I know that I must submit The knowledge of an approaching evil is no small good if improved Though it cannot teach me to prevent it by all my power or providence yet it may teach me to prepare for it and to bear it with courage and patience Discontent and quarrelling are great arguments of guilt and a defiled conscience The harmless sheep conscious of their innocency do quietly receive the Knife either on the Altar or in the Shambles and give death entrance with small reluctancy when the filthy loathsom Swine roar horribly at their first handling and with hideous cries are haled and held to the fatal block The Children of God and members of Christ who are perfect through their head do often give up the Ghost and desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ when the souls of wicked men are required of them and they are strangely passionate at the approach of death and with dreadful screeches salute its Harbinger sickness O that patience might have its perfect work in me when I am taking my leave of it and its work is near an end Lord my heart is too prone to be impatient under thy hand though thou art infinitely wise as well as gracious and knowest what is best for me In my sickness turn mine eyes upon my sins that my discontent may be at my self for that which is the original of all my sorrows and then I shall never repine or murmur against thee I Wish that I may daily think of death and wait beleiving and repenting and working out my salvation till my change shall come My whole time is given me that therein I might prepare and dress my soul for my blessed eternal estate Why should it not be imployed for that end The Child who hath all day been diligent about his duty may expect his Fathers good word at night But what Master will give a reward to him in the evening who hath all the day long served his enemy My life is the seed which will yeild a crop of horror or comfort in an hour of death If that be good my Harvest will be glorious and joyful if that be sinful my Harvest will be bitter and sorrowful Do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles The Grapes of comfort are not to be expected from the Thistles of corruption nor the Figs of peace from the thorns of impiety I should blush to commit to the keeping of a cleanly and considerable person a foul and filthy vessel With what face can I commend to the holy and glorious God an impure and polluted soul O how dreadful will it be to meet with my dying bed before I have met with the Lord of life and to be going out of the world before I have seriously considered why I came into it My great work in this world is to get my depraved nature healed by the blood and spirit of Christ ifâ— I forget my business when I have time to do it and trifle away my days in doing evil or doing nothing I lose my soul am unfaithful to my Master and deepen my judgement by the number of my days â— That Traveller may well be agast and perplexed who hath a long journey to go upon pain of death in one day for which the whole day is little enough and seeth the sun near setting before he hath begun his journey How ill doth the evening of my time and the morning of my taske accord together How justly may God reserve the dregs of his wrath for me if I reserve the dregs of myâ— days for him What folly am I guilty of in deferring my preparation for death If he be a ridiculous person that having choice of lusty horses should let them all go empty and lay an extraordinary heavy load upon a poor tired jade that is hardly able to go much more foolish is he that prodigally wasteth his youth and health and strength in the service of the flesh and the world and leaves the great and weighty affairs of his soul and eternity to be transacted on a sick or dying bed O my soul what little cause hast thou to future or delay thy solemn provision for the other world First thy life is uncertain thou hast not another day at thy disposal There are some creatures they say in Pontus whose life lasteth but one day They are born in the morning come to their full growth at noon grow old in the evening and dye at night What is thy life but a vapour that soon passeth away The first minute thou didst begin to live thou didst begin to dye Death was born when thou wast born the last act of life is but the completing of death As on thy birâ—hâ—day thou didst begin to dye so on the day of thy death thou dost cease to live How many outward accidents and inward diseases art thou every moment liable to May I not say to thee as Michael to David Save thy self to night for tomorrow thou shalt be slain Others have died suddenly by imposthumes or the falling-sickness or violent means and if thou promisest thy self a fair warning before the fatal stroak thou dost but cozen and cheat thy self But secondly If thou wert sure to see the evening star of sickness before the night of death overtake thee thou art not sure thy sickness shall not be such as may not incapacitate thee for the working out thy salvation Extremity of pain anguish of body lack of sleep the violence of a fever may indispose thee and distract thee that thou canst not so much as think of God Or thy distemper may be such that the Physitian may charge thee not to trouble thy self with melancholy or sad thoughts lest thou wrongest thy body and yet the Minister commandeth thee to pull up those sluces of sorrow if thou wouldst not lose thy soul for ever Or cold diseases as the Lethargy or Palsie may surprise thee and incline thee to continual slumbers till at last thou sleepest the sleep of death O how sottish art thou and how grosly doth the destroyer of souls delude thee to defer that work of absolute necessity of conversion to God upon which thine endless weal or wo dependeth to a dying Bed when thou art not sure to dye in thy bed but mayst as well dye in thy Shop or Fields or in the Streets when thou art uncertain what disease if thou shouldst meet with a dying bed should send thee to thy eternal
Law But thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 57 58. The Naturalists tell us of a precious stone called Ceraunias that glisters most when the Skie is Cloudy and over-cast with darkness Godliness friend will cast the greatest lustre on thee and put the greatest comfort in thee when thy time of trouble and day of death is come This this is the friend that is born for the day of adversity Therefore the sweet singer of Israel having this with him promiseth Though he walk in the valley of the shadow of death he will fear none ill Psal. 23. 9. Is not that worthy to be made thy business which will help thee to comfort and confidence at a dreadful day of judgement and cause thee to lift up thy head with joy when thousands and millions shall weep and wail The day of judgement will be a terrible day indeed the judge will come in flaming sire a fire devouring before him and behind him a flame burning His tribunal will be a tribunal of fire Out of his mouth did proceed a fiery Law and by that law of fire he will try men for their eternal lives and deaths The earth at that day will be consumed with fire and the elements melt with fervent heat If the cry of fire firè in the night now be so dreadfull and doth so afright and amaze us though it be but in one house and possible not very near us how dreadful will that day be when we shall see the whole world in a flame and the Judge coming in flaming fire to pronounce our eternal dooms Who can abide the day of his coming or who can stand when he appeareth Then the Kings and Captains and Nobles and Mighty Men will call to the rocks to fall on them and to the hills to hide them from the face that sitteth in the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb Rev. 6. 15. O Reader of what worth is that which will help thee as the three Children to sing in the midst of so many flaming fiery furnaces and preserve thee from being hurt or so much as toucht therewith Truely Godliness will do this for thee it will turn this day of the perdition of ungodly men into a day of redemption to thee As true Gold is not consumed by the hottest fire and the Salamander can live in the greatest flames so the godly man in the midst of all those fires and flames will live and flourish though millions of ungodly ones are scorched and tortured As he is a King now reigning over his stubborn lusts and unruly passions that will be his Coronation day wherein he will appear before the whole world in all his glory and royalty As he is a Husbandman now sowing to the Spirit that will be his Harvest-day wherein he shall reap the fruit of all his prayers and tears and watchings and fastings and labour and sufferings As he is compared to a Virgin betrothed to Christ now keeping his garments white and clean and devoting himself to the service and honour and commands of his Lord that will be his Marriage day wherein he shall be arrayed in fine linnen the righteousness of the Saints adorned with the jewels of perfect graces and solemnly espoused to the King of Saints the heir of all things and the fairest of ten thousands the Lord Jesus Christ. As he is a servant now doing not his own but the will of his Master in Heaven and finishing his work that will be the day wherein his Indentures will expire and he shall enjoy the glorious liberty of the Sons of God As he is a Son now yielding reverence and obedience to the Father of Spirits that will be the day wherein he shall be declared to be of full age and enjoy his portion and inheritance As he is a Souldier now fighting the good fight of faith warring a good warfare enduring much hardship as a good souldier of Iesus Christ that will be the day wherein he shall be called off the guard discharged of those tiresome toylsome duties incumbent on him in this life and receive his garland a Crown of everlasting life Little dost thou conceive Reader the worth of Godliness at that day Godliness will then be honoured and admired not onely by them that have it and rejoyce in it but also by the most prophane and carnal wretches and those who now despise and deride it Then the blind world who now shut their eyes and will not see and the atheistical world who harden their hearts and will not believe shall return and discern and see and believe a difference between the godly and ungodly between them that fear the Lord and them that fear him not O friend what wouldst thou give at that day that godliness had been thy business at this day Godliness will make the judge the Lord Jesus Christ thy friend the Father by whose authority he fits the King of all Nations thy friend the Iustices who will be upon the bench for he shall come with thousands of his Saints thy friends Godliness would make the law by which thou art to be tryed thy friend Godliness would make thy conscience which is to be brought in as the evidâ—nce thy friend Godliness would strike dumb all thy accusers Satan thy corruptions and suffer none of them to hurt thee as thy foes And is not Godliness worthy to be made thy business which will do all this for thee 10. Is not that worthy to be made thy business which will do thee good to eternity The fool is for good for many years but a wise man is for goods that will last to eternity In worldly matters we value those houses and goods highest which will last longest We will give much more for the fee-simple or inheritance for ever of a dwelling or lands then for a term of few years or for a lease for life though we can enjoy them but during life O why should it not be thus in spirituals Why should we not set the greatest price and take the most pains for that which is not for years or ages but for ever for that which we may enjoy and have full solid comfort in to eternity No good that is eternal can be little if it be but an humane friend whom thou lovest to enjoy him for ever or a bodily health to enjoy it for ever or near relations to enjoy them for ever will infinitely advance the price and raise the value of them but to enjoy a God for ever the blessed Saviour for ever the comforting Spirit for ever fullness of joy for ever rivers of pleasures for ever and exceeding weight of glory for ever a crown a kingdom an inheritance for ever which is the fruit of Godliness what tongue can declare what mind can apprehend the worth of these Alas frailty is such a flaw in all earthly tenures that it doâ—h exceedingly abate their value and should our
larger then I intended when I first put pen to paper about it If thy soul receive any profit by it I shall not repent of my pains only beg thy prayers that thou mayst is the desire of Thine and the Churches Servant in the blessed Saviour GEORGE SWINNOCK Reader The Authors absence from the Press hath caused many mistakes in the English Latine and Greek both in the Margin and Body of the Book the most material of those that are in the Body of the Book are corrected to thy hand thy Pen must correct or Candour excuse the rest Vale. ERRATA PAge 3. l. 30. for of the r. and the. p. 7. l. 19. add is unrighteous p. 60. l. 6. for the r. thy p. 64. l. 13. add to the honour p. 116. l. 11. for chattered r. clattered p. 118. l. 2. add of p. 122. l. 24. for detectable r. delectable p. 123. l. 4. r. grace l. 5. for toâ— r. paint p. 125. l 22. r. did not stir p. 130. l. 25. guest r. grief p. 187. l. 13. conversationâ— r conversion p. 195. l. 14. for nor any r. and any p. 232. l. 5. r. indirect p. 227. l. ult For Ieroboam r. Rehoboam p. 286. l. 23. for sweetness r. sweetned p. 462. l. ult for regenerate r. vegetative p. 519. l. 2. adorned r. adored p. 595. l. 10. Haman r. Heman p. 606. l. 3. ends r. friends p. 641. l. 29. for desired r. deserved p. 653. l. 31. r. insperaâ—am p. 656. l 24. for one r. none p. 721. l. 32. For conscience r. confidence p. 748. l. 16. for monstrous r. menstruous p. 769. l. 31. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 816. l. 15. for promises r. premises There is extant of this Reverend Authors these following Treaties The Christian-mans Calling or a Treatise of making Religion ones Business wherein the Nature and Necessity of it is discovered as also the Christian directed how he may perform it in Religious Duties Natural Actions his particular Vocation his Family Directions and his own Recreation to be read in Families for their instruction and Edification The first Part. The second Part Wherein a Christian is directed how to perform his duty in the Relations of Parents Children Husband Wives Masters Servants and in the Condition of Prosperity and Adversity This third Part Diâ—ecting a Christian to perform his duty in his Dealings with all men in the choice of his Companions in Evil Company in good Company in Solitude on a Week-day from morning to night in visiting the sick and on a dying bed with Means Directing and Motives perswading thereunto The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration or a Treatise containing the Nature Necessity Marks and means of Regeneration as also the duty of the Regenerate Heaven and Hell Epitomized or the true Christian characterized The Fading of the Flesh and Flourishing of Faith or one Cast for Eternity with the only way to Tâ—row it Well as also the Gracious Persons incomparable Portion Tâ—e beauty of Magistracy in an Exposition of the 82. Psalm where in set forth the necessity Utility Dignity Duty and Morality of Magistrates 1 TIM 4. 7. But refuse Prophane and old VVives Fables and exercise thy self unto Godliness And Exercise thy self unto Godliness The Preface THe life of Man is not seldom in the Word of God compared to a Walk The womb is the place whence he first in the morning of his age sets out and his actions are the several steps by which he is alwayes hastening to his journeys end the Grave that common Inn of resort The life of a Christian is called a walking in the light a walking in the Law because his motion is regular and his whole race by rule He must have a divine word for all his works and a precept from God for all his practices Scripture is the Compass by which he steereth and the square by which he buildeth Hence he is said to walk with God because he walketh according to his Commands and his example he doth not walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Man 1 Cor. 3. 3. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to his measure as God willeth and as God walketh Further the holy life of a Saint is compared to an orderly walking in these two respects First In regard of his gradual proficiency He doth not stand still but gets ground by his steps They go from strength to strength Psa. 84. 4. From faith to faith Rom. 1. 17. He is ever going forward in Heavens way and never thinks of sitting down till he comes to his Fathers House Sometimes indeed he is so straightned that he can onely creep at other times he is inlarged that he can run but at all times he is going on towards perfection The light of his holiness though at first but glimering is always growing and shines brighter and brighter till perfect day Pro. 4. 18. Secondly In regard of his uniforme perseverance It is not taking a step or two in a way which denominateth a man a Walker but a continued motion It is not one or two good Actions but a good conversation which will speak a man to be a right Christian. A true beleiver like the heavenly Orbes is constant and unwearied in his motion and actings An Expositor observeth of Enoch that it s twice said of him He walked with God Gen. 5. 22 and 24. to shew that as he first began to walk and profit in Gods path so he alwayes continued profiting to the end No man is judged healthy by a flushing colour in his face but by a good complexion God esteemeth none holy for a particular carriage but for a general course A sinner in some few acts may be very good Iudas Repenteth Cain Sacrifiseth The Scribes Pray and Fast and yet all were very false In the most deadly diseases there may be some intermissions and some good prognosticks A Saint in some few acts may be very bad Noah is Drunk David defileth his Neighbours Wife And Peter denyeth his best friâ—nd yet these persons were heavens favourites The best Gold must have some grains of allowance Sheep may fall into the mire but Swine love night and day to wallow in it A Christian may stumble nay he may fall but he gets up and walks on in the way of Gods Commandements the bent of his heart is right and the scope of his life is straight and thence he is deemed sincere It is the Character of the Christian to be constant in his gracious course If you would speak with the Tradesman you may meet him in his Shop The Farmers usual walk is in the Fields He that hath business with the Merchant expecteth him in his Counting-house or amongst his Goods And he that looketh for the Christian shall not fayl to finde him with his God Whether he be alone or in company abroad or in his Family buying or selling feeding himself or visiting others he doth all
Reprove seasonably Reprehension is not necessary or convenient at all seasons Admonition is like Physick rather profitable then pleasant Now the best Physick may be thrown away if a fit time of giving it be not observed Some unskilful Physitians have wronged their Patients in administring sutable potions out of season It s a great part of Christian prudence to discern the fittest time of lancing spiritual sores if they be taken when they are ripe the corrupt matter may be all let out and the party be the healthier whilst he liveth but if before they be ripe it will not be so well A fool will always be talking and is ready to burst if he may not have vent but a wise man will keep a word for afterward Prov. 29. He will neither run before an opportunity nor neglect to follow after it many a fair child is spoiled by an untimely birth and good duty prejudiced by an unseasonable performance Sometimes a sudden reproof upon the commission of the sin hath reformed the sinner but this is not always safe When men are rebuked before their Companions their hearts are usually enraged against the Reprover suspecting him to intend their disparagement rather then their amendment Besides when their spirits are hot and their minds drunk with passion they are apter to beat the Christian then to hear his Counsel When a person is in a violent Fever it s not good to give him Physick its safest to stay till the fit be abated or over Abigal would not tell Nabal of his danger till he was sober Some small fish are twicht up with the violence of a sudden pull when the like action would break the line whereon a great one hangs But I would not be understood Reader to encourage thee in the least under pretence of deferring it till a fitter day to omit the duty if there be no probability of a better season nor any hope of doing good after some ejaculations to Heaven for assistance and success take the present opportunity Fabius conquered by delaying but Caesar overcame by expedition Though it s not ordinarily so good to sow Corn when the Wind is high yet the Husbandman will rather do it in such weather then not at all or then to want his harvest As the Bird often flieth away whilst the Fowler still seeks to get nearer and nearer her so doth a season of advantaging our brethrens souls whilst we wait still for a fitter It s thy duty therefore to take hold of the present where thou hast no likelihood of another and to improve the first good opportunity rather then to adventure the loss of all by expecting a better 4. Reprove prudently A Christians wisdom in the matter of his reproof will very much further its working As an ear-ring of gold and an ornament of fine gold so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear Prov. 25. 12. A wise reprover is a credit to the Reproved It s an honor to be wounded thus by one that is wise Some men would receive blows with more patience if they were given them with more prudence None so likely to find an obedient hearing as they that are wise in reproving the best ear will hardly brook foolish speaking there is a way to make men take down their bitter potions before they are aware The recovering of a fallen sinner is the setting of a bone in joynt which requireth much skill and dexterity Every Mountebank is not fit to undertake this ask First Have respect to the person whom thou reprovest Secondly Have respect to the crime for which thou reprovest First Respect is to be had to the person both as to his condition and his disposition 1. To his condition and quality Though the sins of Superiours may nay must be reproved by those that have a call to it yet not in that bold manner which is allowable to our equals nor without some acknowledgement of that reverence which is due to their Callings and Conditions Rebuke not an Elder but intreat him as a Father 1 Tim. 5. 1. When Daniel was to interpret Nebuchadnezzars dream and to acquaint him with his danger observe with what respectful language he cloatheth his dreadful message Dan. 4. 19 24 27. The Prophets that spake so boldly to their Princes were commanded commissioned by God what to say Though Superiors ought to be reproved yet they ought not to be reviled Paul as I conceive acknowledged his passion when he had spoken irreverently to the high Priest I wist not brethren that he was the High Priest I did not consider as I ought to whom I spake Act. 23. 5. It will not excuse us to give ill words though we receive ill wounds from Magistrates Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly Job 34. 18. Though this Text doth not silence all from acquainting Kings with their faults muchless justifie any that shall daub them with their flatteries 1 King 18. 18. 2 King 3. 13. yet it proves that Princes must be spoken to respectfully because of their places Superiors may be amended by exhortation equals by friendly admonition inferiors by severe reprehension Secondly Respect is to be had to the disposition of the offendorâ— some in their fainting fits are recovered easily with throwing some cold water in their faces others must be beaten or rubbed very hard Some men are like Briars you may handle them gently without harm but if you grasp them hard they will fetch blood Others as Nettles if dealt with roughly do the less wrong Iude 22 23. And of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear Some are like tiled houses that can admit a brand of fire to fall on them and not be burnt yet some again are covered with light dry straw which with the least touch will kindle and flame about your ears By scruing strings moderately we may make good Musick but if too high we break them All the strings of a Viol are not of equal strength nor will endure to be wound up to the same pitch we may sooth a Lion into bondage but sooner hew him in peices then beat him into a chain A difference ought to be observed between party and party an Exhortation will do more with some then a severe Commination with others The sturdy Oak will not be so easily bowed as the Gentle Willow Elisha recovered the dead Child with a kiss but Lazarus was restored to life with a loud strong voice Reproof must be warily given for t is like a Razor whose edge is keen and therefore the sooner rebated It s dangerous to give a medicine stronger then the disease and constitution of the Patient require A gentle fire makes the best distilled waters Respect is to be had also to their faults Wise Physitians will distinguish between a Pimple and a Plague-sore Those that sin of infirmity are to be admonished more mildly then they that sin obstinately
of fire be kept from consuming and as Gideons fleece be moyst when all the earth about it is dry O that I might as Fish retain my freshness in the saltest waters and never savour others vices or follow their steps who depart from the Commandements of my God Lord whose promise is to thy Disciples They shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them Mark 16. 18. Is it not thine own hand writing and canst thou fail of fulfilling it O let thy powerful presence accompany me whithersoever thy providence calleth me Let thy preventing grace preserve me from receiving harm and thy quickening mercy enable me to do good that whereas thine enemies are apt to speak evil of me as an evil doer they may be ashamed who falsly accuse my good conversation in Christ 1 Pet. 3. 16. I Wish that I may be so far from receiving prejudice that I may be profited by the worst of those with whom I associate As my God created nothing in vain so he permits nothing but to some good purpose T is true wicked men are Dogs Mat. 7. 12. prone to faun on me that they may defile me but even of Dogs there may be a good use The Flock is the more safe from Wolves and the House from Theives through their watchfulness They are dust apt to breed vermine but some creatures live upon it as their Aliment and in it as their Element and the basest rubbish may be serviceable about the foundation of a building The Guts and Garbage of some beasts are food to others Doth not experience teach us that many Fowls draw nourishment from unclean and filthy Carcasses Why may not my stomach be so good and my spiritual constitution so strong as to concoct such unwholsom food Lycurgus taught the Lacedemonians vertue not onely by the pattern of their Sober Ephori but also of the drunken Helots their slaves Poisons are as necessary as the best diet if they be in the hands of him who is able to improve and prepare them Beer is the better the more lively and brisk for the grouns that are in the same vessel with it O that my graces might be the more quick and active for the lees of others vices that their sins might increase my sanctity both in making me more thankful to him who maketh me to differ and more watchful over my self lest I fall from my own stedfastness The Mariners are directed in their sailings by Rocks and Shelves as well as by the Northern star My God instructeth Jonah by the shadow of a Weed Go to the Pismire thou sluggard consider her provident ways and be wise to follow them Observe the men of this world O my soul consider their wicked ways and be wise to avoid them Ask these beasts of the earth and they will teach thee nay shame thee How unwearied are they in the pursuit of the world how diligent about their works of darkness how often do they lose their sleep to do mischief and neglect their food and callings to indulge their fleshly lusts whilst thou whose Master is the Lord of Glory whose service is the onely freedom and whose recompence will be infinite art loytering and lazing upon the bed of security O that thou mayst learn industry about the concernments of heaven and eternity from others industry about the affairs of this earth for a few days and take shame to thy self that Satans Servants should be more forward to gratifie their Soul-destroyer then thou art to please the blessed Saviour Lord it is thy prerogative to cause light out of darkness and to bring good out of evil teach thy servant to gather figs from these thistles and to be the better because others are so bad Because the wicked forsake thy law therâ—fore let me love thy commandements above gold yea above much fine gold I Wish that though in pursuance of my calling I do afford my â—ompany to sinners I may never bear them company in their sins True Gold will not change its colour or nature for the hottest fire The Rock keeps its place and is immoveable notwithstanding the continual dashing of the water The earth is not hurt either by the heat of Summer or cold of Winter Though much dirt be flung at a post well oyled it will not stick My God hath enjoyned me Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness Whence I learn these three things 1. That sin is a work of darkness The Prince of darkness is its Father It s his natural off-spring therefore called the work of the Devil Iohn 8. 44. A dark heart is its Mother there it s conceived thence it s brought forth In dark holes these vermine breed and swarm Ephes. 4. 18. Hos. 4. 1 2 3. 2 Cor. 4. 4. It s portion is utter darkness blackness of darkness for ever all its inheritance lieth in darkness and the shadow of death 2. I learn that the works of darkness are unfruitful The sinner makes a sad market of all his wicked wares He soweth vice and reapeth vanity promiseth himself much pleasure and sindeth it wholly unprofitable What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death O what a frightful monster is this miscreant It hath fruitlesness in the beginning shame in the middle and death in the conclusion 3. I learn that I onght not to have fellowship with these unfruitful works of darkness Indeed I have little reason if I consider the two former particulars yet how prone am I to it either by my silence when they sin or by my secret complyance with them in their sin My corrupted heart is like Touch-wood ready to take fire by the least spark When others are bold to blaspheme God I am apt through an ungodly bashfulness to hold my peace little considering that I must one day answer as well for my sinful silence as for every idle word It s my duty to hold the jewel of my faith fast lest Satan steal it from me to hold my profession to the end lest by leaving my Colours I lose my Crown but not to hold my peace in the quarrel of truth lest by suffering sin in others I wrong my own soul Where is my love to others if I stand still whilst they destroy themselves It may well break the strings of my tongue as of the Son of Cyrus when sin like the Persian is ready to kill my Father or Brother or Neighbour Evil men are like Traytours with whom if we act or conceal we are guilty Where is my love to my self if I take others intolerable burthens on my own back Sin is a load too heavy for the stoutest for the strongest to carry Should I by my silence give consent to others Oaths or Lyes or Ieers at godliness and godly men I become a party in their bonds and liable to make satisfaction for their debts and may
this hour hence God appeals to the consciences of the Jews whether though the Prophets died his threatnings which were denounced by those Prophets did not live and take hold of them Zach. 1.5 5 It s true in the Predictions and Prophesies The predictions of the Israelties distress in Egypt four hundred years and deliverance thence of their possessing Canaan of Cyrus birth of the Jews redemption out of the Babylonish captivity of the four Monarchies and of Christs coming in the flesh his mean birth afflicted life death buriall ascention are all already accomplished Those Prophesies in Daniel and Revelation concerning the future estate of the Church the ruine of Pope and Turk the vocation of the Jews and the glorious and pure condition of the people of God in the latter days shall all to a tittle be fulfilled It s observable therefore that some predictions that were or are future are set down in the present tense To us a son is born Babylon the great is fallen is fallen to assure us that they shall be as certainly fulfilled as if they were fulfilled already Isa. 9. 6. Rev. 18. 6. It is the rule of all truth Other Books are true no farther then they are agreeable and commensurable to this All other sayings and writings are to be tried by this touchstone It is not what sense saith or what reason saith or what Fathers say or what General Councils say or what Traditions say or what Customs say but what Scripture saith that is to be the rule of faith and life Whatsoever is contrary to Scripture or beside Scripture or not rationally deducible from Scripture is to be rejected as spurious and adulterate To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speak not according to this it is because there is no light no truth inâ— them Isa. 8.20 3. Consider it O my soul in its names and they will speak much to the excellency of its nature What is this Word which thy thoughts are now upon It is called Scripture or Scriptures by an Antonomasie or excellency of phrase as the most worthy writings that ever saw the light It is called the Word of God both in regard of its efficient cause which is the Spirit of God the material cause which is the mind of God the final cause which is the glory of God It is called the Law of the Lord the law of liberty the law of saith a lawâ— a royal law the book of the law the book of the Lord the book of life the Gospel of peace the Gospel of God the Gospel of Gods grace the counsel of God the charge of God the breath of God the mouth of God the oath of God the Oracles of God the paths of God the wisdom of God It is called a thingâ— the good part the key of knowledge the key of Heaven tidings of salvation glad tidings of peace a good way a perfect way a narrow way Many other titâ—es it hath which shew the excellency of this Word of truth 4. Consider it O my soul in its comparisons which will shew thee somewhat of its perfections Whereunto is this Word resembled it is resembled to light to a lamp Solomon tells us The commandment is a lamp and the law is light T is likely he learned it of his father Thy word is a light to my feet and a lanthorn to my paths saith David Prov. 6 23. Psal. 119. 105. 1. It is light for its clarity and beauty Light is the ornament of the world which is most incorporeal of all corporeal beings therefore termed spiritual Though it discovers all the pollutions of the earth yet it is not polluted therewith The word is the glory of this lower world The law is spiritual and its beauty is not faided nor its purity stained by all the filth of false doctrines and heresies which have been cast into the face of it from the beginning of the world to this day The word of the Lord abideth for ever 2. Light is pleasant and delightful darkness is affrighting and dreadful but light is refreshing and reviving Light is sweet and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the sun Eccles. 11.7 The word of God is sweet and its a pleasant thing with the eyes of faith to behold the glorious sun of divine truths The eye is not more affected with curious sights nor the ear with ravishing musick nor the pallate with rare meats then a spiritualized understanding with spiritual truths David found not onely delight in the singular but delights in the plural number all sorts and degrees of delights in the word of God Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me but thy commandments are my delights His delights in the Law of God were so rare and ravishing that they quite extinguished all sensual delights as the light of the day the light of a candle and drowned the noise of all his crosses and troubles by their loud and amazing melody Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a pleasant Garden wherein every flower yeilds a fragrant savour Ambrose to a feast wherein every book is a dainty dish affording food both pleasant and wholsom 3. Light discovereth and maketh things manifest The night conceals things and the day reveals them That which maketh manifest is light Ephes. 5. 13. Light discovers things in their proper shapes and colours whether beauties or deformities When the Sun appeareth we see the dust in corners and dirt in Ditches which before lay hid The word of God maketh a discovery of an unknown world of sin in the heart of man and the great mystery of iniquity which lay hid there I was alive without the Law but when the commandment came sin revived and I dyed Rom. 7. 9. The faults and spots and defects of his duties were visible by the light of the word All things are naked and open before it It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. The word sheweth the beauty of holiness the love and loveliness of the Redeemer 4. Light directs us how and where to walk In the night we wander and go out of the way we stumble and fall but the day helpeth us both to see our way and to walk in it without stumbling If any man walk in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of this world Iohn 11. 9. The word of God doth preserve us from sin and guide our feet in the way of peace Luk. 1. 73. It is our Poleâ—stâ—r as we are Mariners our Pillar of fire as we are travellers The Law of God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide Psa. 37. 31. Our feet by the light of the word are preserved from falling and our steps from sliding Psalm 119. 105. 5. Light scattereth darkness As the Sun
through thy strength ponder all thy sayings in my heart and make them the rule of my life I will delight inâ—thy law and meditate therein day and night I will give diligence to reading be frequent in hearing and uniform and coustant in obedience to it I will teach it diligently my children and talk of it when I sit in mine house and when I walk by the way when I lye down and when I rise up I will bind it for a sign upon my hand it shall be as a frontlet between mine eyes I will make thy statutes my songs in the house of my pilgrimage I will rejoyce in thy testimonies more then they that find great spoils I will chuse thy statutes as my heritage for ever for they are the joy of my heart I will delight in the law of God after the inner man I will incline my heart to keep thy statutes always unto the end I have sworn and I will perform that I will keep thy righteous judgements But ah Lord what do I say I have even cast thy law behind my back I have broken thy bands asunder and cast thy cords from me My carnal mind is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be I can of my self break thy law but onely through thy strength keep it I have gone astray like a lost sheep O seek thy servant and I will keep thy statutes Be surety for thy servant for good that I may observe thy precepts I am a stranger in this earth hide not thy commandments from me Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not unto covetousness Make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keep it unto the end Giâ—e me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall keep it with my whole heart Thou art good and dost good O teach me thy statutes Thy hands have made me and fashioned me O give me understanding that I may keep thy commandments I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt inlarge my heart O send out thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy hill unto thy heavenly habitation Then will I go into the presence of God even of God my exceeding joy Yea upon the harp will I praise thee O God my God for ever Fourthly If thou woulst exercise thy self to godliness in Solitude Accustom thy self to soliloquies I mean to conference with thy self He needs never be idle that hath so much business to do with his own soul. It was a famous answer which Antistenes gave when he was asked what fruit he reaped by all his studies By them saith he I have learned both to live and talk with my self Soliloquies are the best disputes every good man is best company for himself of all the creatures Holy David enjoyneth this to others Commune with your own hearts upon your bed and be still Selah Psal. 4.4 Commune with your own hearts when ye have none to speak with talk to your selves Ask your selves for what end ye were made what lives ye have lead what times ye have lost what love ye have abused what wrath ye have deserved Call your selves to a reckoning how ye have improved your talents how true or false ye have been to your â—rust what provision ye have laid in for an hour of death what preparation ye have made for a great day of account Vpon your beds Secresie is the best opportunity for this duty The silent night is a good time for this speech When we have no outward objects to disturb us and to call our eyes as the fools eyes are always to the ends of the earth then our eyes as the eyes of the wise may be in our heads and then our minds like the windows in Solomons Temple may be broad inwards The most successful searches have been made in the night season the soul is then wholly shut up in the earthly house of the body and hath no visits from strangers to disquiet its thoughts Physicians have judged dreams a probable sign whereby they might find out the distempers of the body Surely then the bed is no bad place â—o examine and search into the state of the soul. And be still Self-communion will much help to curb your head-strong ungodly passions Serious consideration like the casting up of earth amongst Bees will allay inordinate affections when they are full of fury and make such an hideous noise Though sensual appetites and unruly desires are as the people of Ephesus in an uproar pleading for their former priviledge and expecting their wonted provision as in the days of their predominancy if conscience use its authority commanding them in Gods name whose officer it is to keep the Kings peace and argue it with them as the Town-Clark of Ephesus We are in danger to be called in question for this days uproar there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this days concourse all is frequently by this means husht and the tumult appeased without any further mischief Selah This signifieth elevation or lifting up either the mind or voyce or both For the matter of it it importeth 1. An Asseveration of a thing so to be Hence the Chaldee Paraphrast and some other Hebrews have turned it For ever The foregoing assertions are true and shall be so for ever 2. An Admiration at it Such truths call both for our assent and wonder Selah is affixed by way of Emphasis to note the excellency of the thing asserted and the impression it should make upon our spirits As David enjoyned this duty to others so he practised it himself Psa. 77. 6. I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search He communed with his own heart was not a stranger at home Indeed an Hypocrite as the Philosopher speaks of a vicious person is not friends with himself but endeavours more to avoid himself then any others and is never in so bad company as when he is alone for then he is forced to keep company with himself Where conscience is an abused and incensed Judge t is no wonder that a guilty malefactour would flie from its presence The servant that hath rioted all day is unwilling his Master should reckon with him at night The Heathen persecutors would not hear the Christians because their cause would have appeared so just that nature it self would have justified them The ungodly will not for a contrary reason hear the indictments which conscience prefers against them because their cause will appear so bad that they cannot avoid condemning themselves It may be said of whorish hearts as of the Harlot Her feet abide not within her house But the sincere Christian that allows himself in no sin delights to commune with his own soul and when he is debating things with his own conscience
Murthers and Adulteries and Blasphemies and Prophaness of wicked men cry aloud in mine ears that God is patient The persecutions and oppressions and prayers and cries and tears of good men proclaim to my conscience that God is patient The Sabbaths and Ordinances and seasons of grace and offers of pardon and life which both good and bad enjoy speak plainly and distinctly The Lord is patient O that mine eyes could see it mine ears hear it my mouth taste it my mind discern it and my soul rellâ—sh it in all these O thou beautiful beam darted from the Sun of Righteousness that callest poor mortals to life when they are at the brink of death thou that art the wonder of glorious Angels and glorified Saints be thou unto me as a bundle of myrrhe and a cluster of camphire always unto me let me love thee much for my own sake because thou hast done so much for me but most for the Lords sake because he is all in all unto me Well O my soul how wilt thou requite the kindness thou hast received from this Patience of thy God! When Ahashuerus an Heathen had read and considered how Mordecai had saved his life by discovering the two trayrours that sought to lay hands on the King he cried out What honour hath been done to Mordecai for this and could take no rest till he had given him some signal honour Thou hast read for thy whole life is a Book written within and without with it how the Patience of thy God hath saved thy life the life of thy soul when sin and Satan conspired together to take it away now wilt thou not say within thy self What honour hath been done to the patience of God for this and be unsatisfied till thou hast done it some honour for this good office it hath done thee What love doth that friend deserve who saves thy life What esteem doth that hand of pity merit that keeps thee out of the bottomless pit What thanks is that Messenger worthy of that brings thee a condemned sinner certain news of a reprieve and great hopes of a pardon Surely the respect thou owest to the patience of God which doth as much for thee as all this should be very great especially considering thy disrespects formerly to the God of Patience have been very grievous Lord I acknowledge I have formerly much abused thy patience uâ—ing it as an encouragement to prophaness and turning thy grace into wantoness but now through thy strength I will no longer despise the riches of thy forbearance but be led through thy goodness to repentance I know thou intendest it as a City of refuge to the penitent not as a sanctuary to the presumptuous O let me never make it a pillow for an hard heart but a plaister for a wounded spirit Let this servant of thine and friend of mine obtain his errand and accomplish the end for which thou hast sent him Thou sparest me here that thou might spare me hereafter thou waitest upon me that thou mightst be gracious unto me and art long-suffering because not willing that any should perish but that all might come to repentance O that therefore I might wait upon thee in all thy providences and ordinances for grace that so thy long-suffering may be unto me salvation Thou hast told me Though the sinner live an hundred years and God prolong his days yet it shall not go well with the wicked His preservation is but a reservation to the sorer and greater destruction Though thou sufferest long thou wilt not suffer always and when thou strikest impenitent ones the slowness of thy pace will be recompenced in the heaviness of thy hand The longer the child of vengeance is in the womb of the threatning the bigger it groweth and the more pain it will put the sinner to when it cometh to the birth of its execution O how dreadful will my doom be when thou comest to reckon with me for all thy patience if I do not at this day prevent it by repentance If thy patience do not now make me bend hereafter it will make me bleed It s a sweet friend but a bitter enemy No fury like that which is extracted out of abused patience T were far better to be sent from the Mothers breasts to everlasting burnings then to live many years at the charge of patience and then to die impenitent If I cause thee to suffer long now in vain thou wilt cause me to suffer long in the other world and the more dreadfully for thy long-suffering in this Since thou art gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness O take me not away in thy long-suffering but give me to mind in this day of thy patience the things that concern mine everlasting peace that I may to eternity give thee honour and praise for thy wondrous and boundless patience Amen CHAP. VI. How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness on a Week-day from Morning to Night FOurthly Thy duty is to exercise thy self to Godliness every Week-day I have spoken in the first part how a Christian may make Religion his business on a Lords-day I shall therefore in this place discover how he may do it on a Week-day Every day with a godly man is an holy Sabbath to the Lord Godliness is not his holy days or high days but every days work and his exercise every part of every day I have enclined my heart to keep thy statutes not by fits and starts but always unto the end Psa. 119. 112. The Flower called Heliotropium or Turn-sol turneth its face towards the Sun from morning to night so doth the true Christian towards the Sun of righteousness The Command of God is Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Prov. 23. 17. And the carriage of holy men is answerable hereunto The twelve Tribes served God instantly day and night Act. 26. 7. As the Angels though they are imployed up and down in the world for the service of the Saints yet they always behold the face of their Father so the Children of God though they are occupied about civil and natural actions are called hither and thither as their occasions are yet they pass the whole time of their soâ—journing here in fear That Watch is naught that goeth onely at first winding up and standeth still all the day after that mans religion is little worth that like Epâ—raims goodness is as a morning cloud or dew which vanisheth away ere noon The Rivers run ever towards the Sea notwithstanding that hills and rocks and mountains interpose and force them to their winding Maeanders nay their compass about is not without profit for they water those grounds in their passage through which they seemed to wander The person that hath the living water of grace in him is always tending towards the Ocean of his happiness notwithstanding his seeming diversions by his worldly actions and particular vocation nay he is doing good
and serving his God and his soul as well as his family and body in those interjections The wheel of a chariot though it be in motion all the day and turning about on the ground yet it s but a small part of it that toucheth the earth at one time the greatest part of it is always above it so the true Christian though he be all the day busie about earthly affairs yet it s but his body his lesser part that is employed about them his soul his affections which are his greatest part are always about them SECT I. I Shall first offer thee two quickening Motives and then acquaint thee wherein thy daily exercise to Godliness consisteth First Consider Any day may be thy last day and therefore every day should be an holy day with thee I mean not an holy day for play or recreatâ—on but for the work of Religion He that knoweth not how soon his Master will come and reckon with him had need to be always employed about his Masters business Because there is no time of life in which thou art secure from death therefore every day of thy life thou oughtest to be about thy duty Prov. 27.1 Boast not thy self of to morrow thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Every day is big-bellied and hath more in the womb of it then any man knoweth he that salutes the morning with a smiling aspect may bid the world good night for ever before the evening The candle of thy life may be blown out on a sudden before its half burnt out The Poets fable that Death and Cupid lodging together at an Inn exchanged arrows whereby it hath since come to pass that old men â—â—ote and young men die Death cometh up to the young and strong old and weak men go down to Death Thou mayst be called forth to that war in which there is no discharge and not have an hours warning to prepare thy self for a march Sturdy trees are overturned by an unexpected wind lusty men by violent feavers or outward accidents our enemies are strong our earthly houses weak the coming of our Landlord is unknown the lease of our lives is uncertain we are every moment liable to be ejected and shall we not be so employed that our Lord when he comes may find us well-doing I remember I have in some Author read that the invention of clocks was not primarily to mind us of the Suns posting in the heavens but of our Lives passing on earth It was Calvins reason for his unweariedness in his studies when his friends urged against it the injury it did his body Would ye have my Lord when he cometh find me idle It will be woful for that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find doing evil or doing nothing But and if that servant say in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens and to eat and drink and be drunken The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour when he is not aware and will cut him asunder and will appoint him his portion with unbelievers Luk. 12. 45 46. In which words we may observe 1. The sin of the unfaithful servant 2. The severity of his Lord. In the sin we may take notice 1. Of the nature of He bâ—ats his fellow-servants and eats and drinks and is drunken He gives himself up to all manner of wickedness He is unrighteous to his fellow-servants he beats them and unfaithful to his Master he abuseth his goods he eats and drinks and is drunken Sin doth not lie skulking in the â—ecret trenches of his heart but appeareth boldly in the open field of his life T is a sign an enemy hath great power when he sheweth himself openly 2. The occasion of it His Plea for it His Lord delayeth his coming Because he hath not a speedy reward he layeth aside all good works because of Gods gracious forbearance he argueth a general acquittance for all his evil works He makes bold to riot because he is not called to a speedy reckoning We tremble not at the noise of those Cannons which we fancy to be a great way off That which is lookt upon at a distance seems small and so is despised though the same beheld near appears great and terrifieth us In the severity of the Lord we may read 1. How sore his judgement is He shall cut him asunder and give him his portion among unbeleivers These two expressions speak the dreadfulness of his doom though no words can speak fully how woful it is He shall cut him asunder An allusion to some tortures then in use amongst the Heathen to shew the exquisite pain which his body shall suffer And give him his portion among unbeleivers Because the hottest Hell is reserved for such The wrath of God abideth on them Joh. 3. ult to note the extream punishment which his soul shall undergo 2. How sudden it is unexpected evils are most dreadful The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him Sudden frights overwhelm the spirits Those miseries which seen at some distance have been entertained with patience surprising men on a sudden have â—triken them into despair Death comes sometimes like a Thief up into our windows coming in at the door is ordinary but coming in at the window is unlookt for Ier. 19. 21. As the snare secretly and unexpectedly seiseth the silly Bird so doth a day of death the simple Children of men Luk. 21. 35. Our Saviour speaks of his coming in the second or third watch of the night which the Jews called Intempestum Gallietnium not in the first and fourth because saith Theophilact they are the dead time of the night when men are in their soundest sleep to shew us how suddenly and unexpectedly he shall surprise most men Luk. 12. 38. Reader This present days work may be the last act of thy life it behoveth thee therefore to do it well When thou art in thy Closet thou mayst think with thy self I may possibly never pray more never read the word of God more how reverently uprightly graciously should I therefore pray and read When thou art eating or drinking or refreshing nature thou mayst consider for ought I know this may be the last time that I may use these creatures of God how fearful should I be of abusing them how should I eat my bread as before the Lord. When thou art in thy Shop or about thy calling thou mayst ponder this Possibly my last sand is running and I must this day bid adieu for ever to Wares and Shops and Flocks and Fields and all civil commerce O how heavenly should I be about these earthly affairs How spiritual about these temporal things Who would not do his last work well Ah how holy should he be at all times who hath cause every moment to expect the coming of an holy and
jealous God to call him to an account Secondly Consider Gods eye is all the day long upon thee and therefore thou hadst need to be all the day long in his aâ—e It was a frequent speech of Seneca Vbicunque eo quodcunque ago Demetrium circumfero Wheresoever I go whatsoever I do I carry Demetrius along with me Thou mayst upon better grounds say Whatsoever I think or speak or act wheresoever I go whither to my Closet or Shop or Field or Neighbours Houses I have an holy jealous God along with me Thou mayst write over every room which thou enterest into Thou God seest me and call it by the like name which Hagar did the Well Beerâ—la-haroi The Well of him that liveth and seeth me Thou hast in all the passages of the day that God with thee who takes notice of and will reckon with thee for every passage Thou mayst call every place thou comest into Bethel or Penuel I have seen God in this house or God is in this place He is not like Iupiter of Creet whom some pictured without ears and publish never to be at leasure to take notice of small matters He is all eye all ear He observeth the greatest the smallest things and actions As the Optick vertue in the eye he seeth all and is seen of none Cicero tells us the King of Lydaea had a ring which when he turned the head of it to the palm of his hand he was invisible to others and yet others were visible to him The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good though none hath seen God at any time nor can see him As a well-drawn picture which way soever you turn your self it seems to have its eye still upon you and to follow you God doth that really which the Picture doth seemingly he beholds every person and every action with so direct a face as if he beheld none or nothing else Reader It concerns thee to be every day pious who art all the day long in so holy a Gods presence I have kept thy precepts saith David for all my ways are before thee Psa. 119. 68. The Scholar will ply his Book when his Master is present though he play and prate in his absence The Thief will not steal when the Iudge looketh on He that was accused to force the Queen before the Kings face had a Gallows for his end If the eye of good or great men will prevail with us to be handsom and comely in our behaviour and carriage how holy should they always be that are ever in the presence of the infinite God who is cloathed with Majesty as with a garment and who is so holy that the Heavens are unclean in his sight If a King sitting upon his throne sâ—attereth evil with his eye how much more should the eye of a God! Prov. 15. The Sun locally in Heaven is virtually on Earth its light heat influence over-spreadeth the face of Sea and Land He that shuts his eyes and will not see the light of it doth feel its heat and influence Its presence scattereth Clouds and Mists and Fogs Though Gods glorious and most joyful presence be in Heaven his real essential and gratious presence is on earth they who put out the eyes of their reason and conscience and will not see him do yet feel him in their beings and blesâ—ings for in him they live and move and have their beings Shall not his presence disperse those clouds of sin which would obscure his glory and hinder the light of his countenance from shining on us SECT II. AS to the exercising thy self to Godliness on a week-day though what I have write in former Chapters in this and the two former Parts hath much prevented me yet I shall commend to the Reader six particulars First Begin the day with God Never expect a good day unless you begin with a good duty He hath the best good-morrow who meets Ged first in the morning Though some sunshiny mornings are overcast before night yet the Heavens are usually all day clear to him that sets out early in the way of Gods commandements The mind retains a tincture all day of its first serious exercise in the morning When the right Watch or Clock is wound up well in the morning it will be regularly going and moving all day after He that loseth his heart in the morning in a throng of worldly affairs seldom finds it to purpose in any part of the day It was the honoâ—r of Rusticuâ— that though Letters were brought him from Caesar he refused to open them till the Philosopher had done his lecture Surely the worship of the blessed God is of more worth in it self and of more concernment to us then any moral Philosophical Doctrines to him or any affairs whatsoever and therefore ought to be first minded and performed As soon as thou awakest lift up thine heart to Heaven Great and Noble persons are usually first served Though others that are our inferiours wait out leisure our Superiours have the precedency of our time Let the first Messenger thou sendest forth be sent to the Lord of thy life to present thy humble service and thanks to him for his providence over thee and the rest and refreshment he hath afforded thee the last night Thou mayst say with the Psalmiâ—t I laid me down and slept I awaked for the Lord sustained me For except the Lord keepeth the City the watchman waketh but in vain He giveth his beloved sleep Psa. 3. 5. and 127. 1 2. Be mindful also in some short ejaculation to beg his guidance protection and blessing all the ensuing day For 't is he that can make an hedge about thee thine house and all that thou hast If he bless the work of thine hands thy substance will increase in the Land Iob 1. 10. This small taste of ejaculatory prayer will quicken thine appetite after a full meal of â—et and solemn devotion If thou canst after this keep thy mind intent whilst thou art dressing thy self on some divine subject thou wilt be much the more fit for thy secret duties and in a fair way to walk with thy God all the day The next thing I would advise thee to or rather Câ—rist enjoyneth Enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy Door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Here is 1. A Precept to secret prayer Pray to thy Father in secret The Priest was every morning to renew the Fire on the Altar and to offer Sacrifice And they offered burnt-offerings unto the Lord even burnt-offerings morning and Evening And they offered the daily burnt-offerings offerings by number according to the custome as the duty of every day required Ezra 3. 3 4. So also in Davids time Asaph and his Brethren ministred before the Ark continually as every days work required 1 Chron. 16. 33. Solomon took after his Father 2 Chron.
8. 14. And what is the substance of those shadows but that Christians who are a spiritual Priest-hood should every day have their solemn Morning and Evening addresses to God and offer up holy sacrifices acceptable to God in Iesus Christ. Davids purpose was to be early at prayer O God my voice shalt thou hear in the morning in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up And his practice was answerable I prevented the dawning of the morning and cried Psa. 5. 3. and 119. 147. He was up before the day and risen and at work before the Sun Nay he tells God In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee As if he would be at his prayer before God were stirring and going abroad But surely we cannot rise so early but God is awake before us for he that keepeth Israel never slumbereth nor sleepeth His eyes are ever waking who holdeth sometimes our eyes waking But David meaneth rather that his prayers should prevent Gods servants his severest or most solacing providences not God himself He would send a Messenger with Petitions or Thanksgivings to God before God should send any Messenger with good or bad tidings to him he would be too early either for crosses or comforts 2. The Promise to secret Prayer And thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly God heard Paul in the Dungeon as well as Peter on the House top The Sun of Righteousness looks as well into the narrow Closet Casement as into the large Church Windows Secret prayers are audible to him that made the ear As he bottleth up our secret tears so he registreth our secret prayers Though the Ark was close on every side that every man might not look into it yet it had a Window open to Heaven As the Flowers open themselves in the morning to take in the sweet influences of the Sun so should the Christian open his heart in the morning to receive a blessing from the Father of lights Mary went early in the morning to the Sepulchre of Jesus and had the honour and favour to have the first sight of him after his resurrection Many a Saint hath had a blessed vision of the glorified Saviour in a morning prayer Knowest thou not O man saith Ambrose that thou owest the first fruits of thine heart and voice to God therefore meet the Lord at the Sun rise that the Sun rising may find thee ready It s reported of Cardinal Wolsey that though he was Lord Chancellour and had great and weighty employments yet he would not go abroad any morning before he had heard two Masses I wish the Popish Mattinâ— did not shameâ— the Protestants for their sluggishness and their frequent omissions T is much that some should be so diligent at their blind devotion which comes to nothing and others that have experience how profitable their spiritual trade is so backward to it and careless about it Gods mercies prevent us early and therefore our prayers should prevent him His going forth is prepared as the morning he satisfieth us early with his mercies that we may rejoyce and be glad all our days Hosea 6. 3. Psa. 90. 14. If his mercies are renewed on us every morning our acknowledgements may well be renewed unto him Every favour makes us debtors and all the pay he expects is thanks If any man should every morning send us who have little of our own to live upon very considerable presents we should esteem our selves very uncivil and unworthy if we should not as often return him our service and thanks and sense of his kindness How great and how many are the mercies with which our God loadeth us every morning and are we not sordidly ungrateful if we neglect the acknowledgement of them Our ordinary mercies are of extraordinary merit and deserve hearty thanks The damned could we speak with them would tell us that life a naked abode on this side Hell were an infinite mercy The siâ—k and such as are troubled with continual Aches or tortured with the Stone or Gout or Collick would tell us that health is a great mercy The Blind and Lame and Deaf would tell us that Limbs and Senses are a great mercy The Hungry and Naked and Houseless and Friendless would tell us that Food and Raiment and Habitations and Friends are great mercies Poor Prisoners and such as are vexed with cruel Wars and forced to flie before their enemies will tell us that liberty and peace are great mercies The Saints in Heaven could we speak with them would tell us the Patience of God the Gospel of our Salvation the tenders of Grace are inestimable mercies and do not all these which every morning are notwithstanding our notorious abuse and frequent forfeitures renewed upon us deserve our solemn and sincere thanks every morning The Jews some tell us are bound to say over an hundred Benedictions every day and among the rest these two when they go out in the morning Blessed be he that created the greater light and when they come in at evening Blessed be he that caused darkness David was frequent at this duty I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall be continually in my mouth Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgements Psa. 34. 1. and 119. 164. It is a Motto say some often repeated in Mercers Chappel Think and Thank Our many wants and necessities command us to be every morning at Heavens Gate for supply We are needy indigent creatures and must get our living wholly by begging all the day long we want forbearing preserving supporting mercy It must be Divine power that must enable us to follow our callings to stir or move about our business that must defend and protect us in our out-goings and incomings and prosper and succeed our undertakings God alone can shield us from spiritual and corporal enemies that can supply us with inward and outward good things and surely such blessings are worth asking They who will have mercies that are not of the growth of their own Country Earth must send thither to Heaven where they are to be had Prayer like the Patriarchs and Solomons good House-wife fetcheth our food from far As the Merchants Ships it supplieth us with commodities of all sorts from forraign Countries No mercies hang on so low a bough as to be pulled to us and gathered by our own armes therefore it behoveth us to beg Give us this day our daily bread Besides our dangers and difficulties every day are many and call us to be early and earnest at this duty Our callings every company all earthly affairs are snares and temptations to us unless they are sanctified by prayer It s not safe to drink of those streams wherein so many poisonous creatures dip their venemous heads unless this Vnicorn hath healed them They who walk abroad without prayer may fear they walk abroad without Gods Protection Oratio matutina clavis diei
Morning prayer is the key of the day which openeth the treasury of divine bounty and locketh the soul up in safety A Prayerless person goeth all day unarmed and may expect many wounds from that hellish crew that lye always in ambush to destroy him The neglect of this pass gives Satan a great advantage to take the City When Saul had left off calling at Heavens gate the next time you hear of him is knocking at a Witches at the Divels door Prayer is one of the great ordinances that batters down the strong holds of the Devil hence he sets his wits at work to divert men from it It is the Souls armour and Satans terrour he that knoweth how to use this holy spell aright need not fear but he shall fright away the Devil himself The Lord Jesus when he marcht out against the powers of darkness and was to fight with them hand to hand armed himself before-hand with prayer Luk. 3. 21 22. not onely for his own protection but also for a pattern to us Every day we walk in the midst of enemies which are both mighty and crafty and will watch all advantages to undo us and should we go amongst them without prayer we are sure to become their prey It s too late to wish for weapons when we are engaged in a Battel Caesar cashierd that Souldier who had his armour to furbish and make ready when he was called to fight The moral of the Fable is good The Boar was seen whetting his Teeth when no enemy was near to offend him and being asked the reason why he stood sharpening his weapons when none was by to hurt him he answered It will be too late to whet them when I should use them therefore I whet them before danger that I may have them ready in danger Another duty that concernes thee in secret is to read some portion of the Word of God The Work-man must not go abroad without his Tools The Scripture is the Carpenters Rule by which he must square his building the Tradesmans Scales in which he must weigh his commodities The Travellers Staff which helpeth him in his journey There is no acting safely unless we act scripturally Bind it continually upon thy heart and tie it about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee when thou wakest it shall talk with thee For the commandement is a lamp and the law is light and reproofs of instruction are the way of life Prov. 6. 21 22 23. The Lawyer hath his Littleton or Cook which he consulteth The Physitian hath his Galen or Hippocrates with which he adviseth The Scholar haâ—h his Aristotle The Souldier his Caesar And the Christian his Bible that Book of Books to which all those Books are but as a course list to a fine cloth and scarce worthy to be wast paper for the Binder to put before this to shelter it This will teach the Lawyer to plead more effectually then Cicero when undertaking the cause of Quintâ—â— Ligarius one of Caesars enemies he did by the power of his Oratory make Caesar his Soveraign to tremble and often to change colour and when he described the Battel of Pharsalia caused him to let his books fall out of his hand as if he had been without spirits and life and forced him against his will to set Ligarius at liberty this will teach him so to plead as to prevail with and overcome God himself This will teach the Physitian to work greater cures then ever AEsculapius wrought to produce more strange and rare effects then the most powerful natural causes The Weapon-salve and most extraordinary cures that ever have been wrought are nothing to the healing a vitiated nature by the spirit and a wounded conscience by the blood of Christ which have been frequently done by the Word of God It hath opened the eyes of the blind abated the dropsie of pride softned the stone in the heart stopped a bloody issue of corruption healed the falling-sickness or back-sliding and raised the dead to life He sendeth his Word and healeth them Psa. 107. 20. The waters issuing out of the Sanctuary are healing waters Ezek. 47. 9. This will teach the Scholar to know more then the greatest Naturalists or then the Delphick Oracle could enable him to though it told him his duty even to know himself It is a Glass clean and clear wherein he may plainly see the spots and dirt and deformity of his heart and life It will teach him to know the only true God and Iesus Christ whom he hath seâ—t whom to know is life eternal This will teach the Souldier how to war a good warfare how to fight the Lords Battails against the Prince of Darkness and all his adherents and over all to be more then a Conquerour There is no Guide no Counsellor no Shield no Treasure among all the Books that ever were written comparable to the Scripture It is reported that a certain Iew should have poisoned Luther but was happily prevented by his Picture which was sent to Luther with this warning from a faithful friend That he should take heed of such a man when he saw him by which Picture he knew the Murtherer and escaped his hands the Word of God discovereth the face of those lusts in their proper colours which lie ready in our callingsâ— in all companies in our goings out and comings in to defile us and which Satan would employ to destroy us By them is thy servant forewarned saith David Psa. 19. 11. By reading and applying it we may know their visage and prevent their venome by the words of thy mouth I have kept my self from the paths of the destroyer Cyprian would let no day pass without reading of Tertullian nor Alexander without reading somewhat in Homer Shall the Christian let a morning pass without an inspection into the Word of Christ As God commanded Moses to come up into the Mount early in the morning with the two Tables in his hand So Reader he commandeth thee to give him a meeting every morning with the two Testaments in thy hand After the refreshment of nature about which I have given thee directions else-where and therefore shall omit it here it will be requisite that thou shouldst call thy family together and worship the blessed God with them Our Relations namely Children and Servants have mercies bestowed on them wants to be supplied dangers to be prevented natures to be sanctified souls to be saved as well as our selves and therefore must not be neglected Some tend and feed the souls in their families on the Lords day and starve them all the week after but herein they are guilty of dishonesty and unfaithfulness They rob God of the service which is due to him from all in their house joyntly They wrong the souls in their families by not allowing them the liberty at least by not calling and causing them to hear the voice and seek the face of God
with others And they injure themselves most by being false to their trust Should they feed the bodies of their Children and Servants on the Lords-days and make no provision for them on the week-days their consciences would flie in their faces and tell them they were inhumane and unnatural and yet they can omit all regard of their immortal souls which are far more worthy of care and tendance without remorse and sorrow I must tell such persons that if Atheism had not the predominancy in their hearts it would not bear such sway in their houses Such men are like Swine with their Pigs as if all their noses were nailed to the trough in which they feed they look not up to the God of their food and of all their comforts Such Children and Servants will in the other world find cause to curse the time that ever they knew such Fathers and Masters Others there are some of whom I hope to be godly though not in this particular that pray in their families every night but omit morning duties As if God were the God of the night and not of the day as the Syrians blasphemously affirmed that he was God of the Hills but not of the Vallies These as Austin speaks of those that woâ—ship the Moon are Atheists by day as they that worship the Sun are Atheists by night The day is thine the night also is thine thou preparest the light and the Sun Psa. 74. 16. Surely though evening Sacrifice ought to be minded yet there is as much if not more reason for morning duties A man at night in his Chamber is like a Souldier in his Garrison subject onely to the unavoidable and more immediate hand of God whereas in the day when he stragleth abroad from his quarters to fetch in his supplies he is then exposed to many unexpected casualties and unthought of accidents Family perils and dangers every day call for family prayers and duties every morning Family favours and kindnesses every night call for family thanks and acknowledgements every day When many are joyned in a Bond they go often together to see the money paid All in a Family joyn in borrowing domestical mercies therefore they must all joyn in paying hearty praises Reader if thou art Governour of a Family Consider that thou canst not faithfully serve God as a Commander unless thou takest care that all the persons under thy power do their duties in their places The Lord of Hosts will never thank that Officer who is careful to sight for him in his own person but suffereth his Company through his carelesness to fall away to the enemy Do not pretend Servants are abroad or scattered here and there about their imployments and are not at leasure but answer 1. Art thou and thy servants contented to go all day without Gods protection and provision Without question thou art most unworthy of them that dost not think them worth asking Surely God may as well say he hath no leasure he hath other employment then to defend and feed and preserve thee as thou that thou hast no leasure to serve him 2. Dost not thou and do not thine squander away more time idly and vainly then need to be taken up in morning duties 3. Do not Children and Servants come together every morning to feed their bodies and why not to feed their souls 4. If any man should make use of thy Goods or Servants of thy Time without leave thou wouldst take it very ill at their hands Thou art Gods and all that thou hast may not God therefore take it unkindly that thou shouldst dispose of thy self and thine affairs without his leave 5. Is it not plain Atheism and horrid disrespect to the blessed God to put thy self or them under thy roof upon worldly imployments without asking his providence and blessing Is it not too plain a speaking that there is no such need of him that thou canst do well enough without him 6. Thou wilt not say that thou and thine have no leasure in the morning to plough or sow or buy and sell oâ— follow earthly affairs and why not leasure as well to serve and worship the Lord His worship is of greater worth of greater weight It is of more necessity it concerns thine endless bliss in the other world It will bring in the greatest profit In the doing of his commands there is great reward Dost thou not believe that he is a better pay-master then the world 7. Art thou able to do any thing in any part of the day without his assistance Dost thou not depend every moment upon him for all thy motions and actions and is he not worth acknowledging 8. Wilt thou sayâ— Thou hast no time no leasure to be saved to escape Hell and to attain Heaven I must tell thee if thou hast no time to serve God he will have no time to save thee 9. Wilt thou stand to this Plea at the day of Christ When God shall ask thee Why thou and thy Family went abroad prayerless and drowned your selves in worldly affairs and were taken and torn by snares and temptations and disowned him and his laws as if they were not worth regarding Dost thou think it will be sufficient then to answer Lord I was a Knight or a Squire and though I had many servants yet they had their several offices and employments and could not spare time to pay that homage they owed to thy Majesty to implore thy mercy and to intreat an interest in the merits of thy son We had other things to look after then thy beautiful Image and the blessed vision of thy face for ever Or suppose thou art of an inferiour rank canst thou imagine it will be a comfortable Plea to say Lord early in the morning my Children and Servants were called to tend my Sâ—op or Flocks or Cattel or set upon some needful business or other that they could have no leasure to mind their inestimable souls or to approach thy glorious Majesty in holy ordinances O blush Reader if thou art guilty of morning omissions and either cast away thy frivolous pretences and set upon the duty or else stand to thy foolish pleas and try whether they will bear weight at the great and terrible day of the Lord Jesus but remember in the mean time that thou hast had one warning more I have written somewhat largely about family duties in the first Part and therefore had intended onely to have saluted them in this place and so to have left them but observing how some families even where governous are judged to fear God are without morning though not without evening sacrifices I dwelt the longer upon it to quicken them to this duty that they might be able to say with Abijah The Lord is our God and we burn incense and offer sacrifice every morning and evening unto him 2 Chron. 13. 10 11. SECT III. SEcondly Spend the greatest part of the day in thy particular calling He that mindeth
commodities make the most of their Markets and buy their wares while a fit time of buying them serves and having possibly had great losses formerly or spent their time idly do by their diligence seek to redeem and as it were to buy back again the time that is past The Lacedemonians were penurious of their time and spent it all about necessary business not suffering any Citizen either to play or be idle When their Ephori heard that some used to walk in the afternoons for their recreation they forbad it as savouring too much of pleasure and commanded them to recreate their bodies by some manly exercise which might breed them to be serviceable to the Common-wealth Reader the time of thy life goeth post thou art hastening to thy last stage whether thou art eating or drinking walking or sitting buying or selling waking or sleeping death is always making speed towards thee the time of thy departure hence is concluded and resolved beyond which it is impossible for thee whether thy work be done or undone to stay one day no not one hour nay not one moment and shouldst thou waste thy time upon toys and trifles as if thou hadst nothing to do no God to make peace with no Redeemer to lay hold on no soul to take care of He that hath a great way to go or much work to do and that upon pain of death and but a little time for it hath little reason to laze or loyter When we have but a little paper and much to write we write small and thick O how much work hath every Christian to do in this world which if he neglect he is lost for ever how many head-strong lusts to subdue how many duties towards God and men to perform how many graces to exercise providences and ordinances to improve and can all this be done in a little time The Candle of our lives burns low if like foolish Children we play it out we may thank our selves if we go to bed in the dark without the light of comfort to our graves It is one of the most irrational yet ordinary action of the children of men especially persons of estates and quality to waste time in Dicing or Carding or hawking or Hunting or Chambering or Revelling and yet to murmur that they want time and tell us Its pitty mans life is so shortâ— that it is not spun out to a longer thread I must tell such that they complain of God when they should of themselves He is not penurious but they are prodigal in mispending it I must ask them Why would they have more time Is it to be more riotous and prophane and vicious The shortest moment is too much for the service of sin He that sinneth but once sinneth too much by once If it be that they might honour God and get grace and lay hold on eternal life why do they not set about it and make it their business Every one would accuse him of folly that were condemned one Assize to be hanged but was reprieved till the next and had that time allotted to sue out his pardon if he should in the interim give himself wholly to gaming and drinking and take no care about his pardon yet complain to all that came to him that his time was short and he had not enough to get his pardon in or prevent his Execution Our days are sufficient for our duties had we grace to number them and to apply our hearts to wisdom but there is no overplus of time to be abused to fleshly or worldly lusts or to be lavished away in idle and unnecessary things A good man that liveth all the day long in the fear of his God and husbands his time to the best advantage of his soul finds it so sufficient for his work that he is always ready to be called to an account and when ever he dieth he dieth full of days and hath had his fill of living but men waste their time in vanity and folly sacrifice their youth to frowardness and unprofitableness their manhood to pleasure and passion their old age if they live so long to earthly-mindedness and Atheism nay they will set down and contrive sports or send for or go into idle company to pass away the time and then complain that time is little and life is short and they have not enough to provide for death and eternity in The Moralist observeth truly Non exiguum temporis habemus sed multum perdimus It is not a little time that we have but it is much which we waste God iâ— bountiful in allotting us time but we are laviâ—h of it and then grumble that it is no more The largest possessions in a Country though worth thousands per annum are nothing in the hands of a Prodigal Heir who useth to throw away thousands at a cast and must pay the Bills which Pride and luxury and gluttony send him in daily but a twentieth part of those revenues were a large estate in the hands of a frugal person The vast incomes of Egypt and all the Eastern Provinces were but a small sum when they were gathered to maintain the pomp and ambition of Antony and the riot and fleshly lusts of Cleopatra when some prudent provident Emperours have lived freely and nobly a whole year with less then they consumed in a day Foolish men that are riotous and prodigal of their time as if it were given them onely to sport and play and roar and revel in pine and whine at last that they are lost because their time is so short but wise and gracious persons that deny themselves and crucifie the flesh that can redeem time from toys and idle talk and foolish sports and unnecessary diversions to pray and hear and read and examine their souls and bemoan their sins and provide for heaven these grow rich in good works and find the days of their pilgrimage sufficient for them SECT V. FIfthly Call thy self to an accauut at evening Take a review of thy carriage the whole day how thou didst behave thy self Begin with the morning consider whether thou didst awake with God what was the frame of thy Spirit in closet and family duties in company and solitude Reflect upon thy actions thy passions thy speech thy silence thy behaviour at table in thy shop whether thy affections were heavenly above the world when thy actions were earthly about the world whether thou wast righteous in thy particular calling and didst set upon it out of conscience to Gods precept and with an eye to his glory whether thou didst not lose an opportunity of advantaging thy brothers soul and doing thy God service whether thou hast not failed in thy thoughts or words or deeds in thy demeanour towards thy relations or neighbours or strangers whether thou didst in all walk according to that rule which thy God hath prescribed thee This is the way to make the day more pious and the night more pleasant Conscience
savour of it So if godliness and the immediate worship of God do first in the morning possess my soul my natural and civil affairs will probably rellish of it Again Mens hearts are generally upon that in the morning which they esteem their happiness and portion The covetous Muck-worm no sooner openeth his eyes but his â—eart is tumbling in his heaps The voluptuous beast no sooner wakes but he is sporting in sensual waters The ambitious Peacock no sooner is able to think but his gay Feathers and gaudy dress for that day come into his mind and why should not my heart send its first thoughts into Heaven Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee The Birds early in the morning salute the rising Sun with their sweet notes and shall not I the Sun of righteousness Further My wants my mercies call for morning duties I walk in the midst of deaths of dangers every day and shall I dare to travail without my defence Men cloath their bodies against the sharpness of the weather and why not their souls against the assaults of the flesh the world and the wicked one There is no safety without this breast-work If Satan take me out of my trenches and strong holds as Joshua did the men of Ai it will be no wonder if he roâ—t and ruine me If I do not bless God in the morning how can I expect that he should bless me in the day Is any earthly Prince so prodigal of his favours as to throw them away upon those that esteem them unworthy to be desired If I do not serve the Precepts of God I am presumptuous to look that his providence should serve meâ— Should I undertake my affairs on earth before I have dispatched my business with heaven I am a notorious Cheat and Theif I am a Theif to God by robbing him of his glory and that natural allegiance which I owe to my Maker I am a Theif to my self in robbing my self of that blessing which I might have on my callings and undertakings O that prayer might be the girdle to compass in the whole body of my natural and civil dealings and concernments And that I could every day of my life forestal the worlds market by setting early about closet and family duties Suitors find it fittest to wait upon and dispatch their business with great persons betimes in the morning Lord freedom of access to thy throne of grace is an unspeakable favour Access is hard to earthly Princes No worldly Court is so open as to admit all comers Those that with much difficulty present their Petitions are often against all reason denyed Thy gates are open night and day all that will may come and be welcome Thou invitest souls to come into thy presence and delightest to hear and grant their prayers Thine eares are more open and ready to hear then their mouths to ask Thou pressest upon many undesired blessings but denyest none who ask not stones instead of bread Importunity never angers thee the more fervent and frequent my soul is with thee the more prevalent Thou fillest the hungry with good things and dost not send any that desire thy grace empty away from thy gate What care I how little notice or knowledge the Nobles of the earth will take of me when I can speak so freely to their better their Soveraign and not fear a repulse O teach me the right art of begging and then I need not be afraid of poverty If I be but skilful to follow that trade my returns will be both â—â—re and large Thy mercies are renewed upon me every morning so are my necessities O let my prayses and prayers be as frequent and early I will bless the Lord at all times his praise â—hall be continually in my mouth O God my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and barren Wilderness where no water is My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up I Wiâ—h that having done with the more immediaâ—e service of my God in Praying and Reading both in my Closet and Family I may proceed to serve him in my Shop and Particular Calling When God saith Man is born to labour I must not sing with the fool Soul take thine ease An idle person is like Caterpillars and Mice that devour Gods creatures and do no good to others It s pity he ever lived the book of whose life is filled up with nothing but Cyphers Nature never intended men to be drones to feed on others labours nor bats to spend their lives in the company of sleep the brother of death My God my soul my family my country do all call upon me to be diligent in that calling whereto he hath called me My God is a pure act himself and hath capacitated all his creatures for action He created all men but never made a sluggard The idle person wholly degenerates from the end of his being and receiveth his faculties in vain The command for civil labour hath the same divine stamp as that for sacred rest I have also his pattern for my encouragement as well as his precept for my warrant Hitherto my father worketh and I work My soul also stands in as much need of exercise as my body Idleness is the door at which diseases enter into both Rust eats up vessels that are laid by and unused The mind is never more bright then when it is in imployment from doing nothing we proceed to do evil Idleness is not onely a vice it self but also hath this unhappiness to usher in all other This is the least advantage of industry that it gives the soul no leasure to play with sin or to entertain the wicked one Standing waters do not sooner putrifie then lazy souls T is action that preserves the â—oul in health As Gâ—ats dance up and down in the Sun and then sit down and sting the next hand they seize upon So they who have no time to work have much to imploy in slandering and backbiting others One sin never goeth alone Again my Family may well rouze me out of the bed of laziness If I expect supply of their wants it must come in with Gods blessing at the door of diligence I am stealing from my wife and children all the while I am loytering The Heavens may cause seed sown to ripen into a joyful Harvest but untilled land will afford no crop save of weeds or stones Once more My Country commands me to my calling I am but an ill member in the body Politique if as a diseased part I take of its nourishment but rather hinder its growth then contribute to its health A jarring string is not more prejudicial to the rarest Viol in the hands of a skilful artist then an idle person to the musick and composure of the universe The most venemous
with fear Didst thou receive thy meat as in Gods presence and hadst thou an eye therein at his praise How didst thou behave thy self in thy Particular calling Did it no way incroach upon thy general Was thy conversation in heaven whilst thy dealings were about earth Wast thou diligent in the exercise of it righteous in thy dealings in it depending on God for a blessing on it What was thy carriage in company was thy life holy spotless exemplary profitable to others Mightest thou not in such a place have done thy God more service and thy Brothers soul more good May I not say to thee as God to Jonah Didst thou well to be angry at such a time upon no cause what were thy thoughts in solitude how wast thou imployed Had God any true share in thy thoughts hast thou watched thy self this day and kept thy heart with all diligence Hath none of thy precious time been lavisht away on unnecessary things Answer me faithfully to all these particulars that I may be able to return an answer to him that sent me O that I could but imploy one half hour every day with seriousness and uprightness in such soliloquies Lord thou didst create the world in six days and thou wast pleased to loâ—k back on every days work and behold it was very good and then ensued thy Sabbath Cause thy â—ervant to be a follower of thee as a dear child in minding every day the work thou hast given me to do that I may every night review it with comfort finding it good in thy Christ at the end of all my days looking back upon all my works I may see them very good through the acceptation of thy grace and with joy enter into my eternal Sabbath I Wish that I may end every day with him who is the beginning and first born from the dead That I may every night go to bed as if I were going to my grave knowing that sleep is the shadow of death and when the shadow is so near the substance cannot be far off Though lovers cannot meet all day yet they will make hard shift but they will find an opportunity to meet at night Should my devotion set with the natural Sun I may fear a dreadful night of darkness to follow That bed may well be as uneasie as one stuft with thorns that is not made by prayer If the soul lye down under an heavy load of sin the body can have no true rest Jacob could sleep sweetly upon an hard stone having made his peace with God when Ahashuerus could not though on a bed of down I cannot sleep unless God wake for me and I cannot rationally expect his watchfulness over me unless I request it My corruptions in the day call for contrition in the night How many omissions commissions personal relative sins heart life wickedness am I daily guilty of and â—hould I lye down under their weight for ought I know they may sink me before morning into endless wo. Whilst blood is in my veins sin will be in my soul. The weed of sin may be cut broken pulled up yet it will spring again I shall as soon cease to live as cease to sin Though I should be free all the day long from presumptuous enormities and onely defiled with ordinary humane infirmities yet these if not bewailed are damning The smallest letters are most hurtful to the eyes and far worse then a large Character Those sins which are comparatively little if not lamented are far more dangerous then Davids Murther and Adultery which were repented of When the soul like Thamar hath notwithstanding its utmost endeavours to preserve its chastity been ravished and by force defiled it must with her lift up the voice and weep If the Sun may not go down upon my wrath against man much-less may I presume to lye down under the wrath of God Besides how can sin be mortified if it be not confessed and bewailed Arraignment and Conviction must go before Execution The favours of the day past are not to be forgotten but to be acknowledged with thankefulness I receive every day more considerable mercies then there are moments in the day and when I borrow such large sums the principal of which I am unable ever to satisfie shall I be so unworthy as to deny the payment of this small interest which is all my Creditour requireth Whatsoever gain I have got in my calling whatsoever strength I have received by my food whatsoever comfort I have had in my Relations or Friends whatsoever peace liberty protection I have enjoyed all the day long I must say of all 〈◊〉 Jacob of his Venison The Lord hath brought it to me Surely the hearer of my morning prayers may well be the object of my evening prayses Aâ— how unreasonable is it that I like a whirl-pool should suck in every good thing that comes near me and not so much as acknowledge it Should any one be the thousandth part so much indebted to me as I am to God how ill should I take it if he should not confess it If a Beggar at my door receive a small almes from God by my hands I look for his thanks How often have I complained of the baseness and unworthiness of some that are engaged to me O what tongue can express what heart can conceive how much I am indebted to my God every moment though I am less then the least of all his mercies and doth not all his goodness merit sincere thankefulness Lord I confess there is not a day of my life wherein I do not break thy Laws in thought word and deed Sin is too much the element in which I live and the trade that I drive I find continually a law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and captivating me to the Law of sin and death Ah wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Since I am no day innocent make me every night penitent As my sins abound let my sorrow abound and thy grace much more abound Though I can never requite thy favours help me to admire and bless the fountain of them Suffer me never to go to bed till I have first asked thee my heavenly Father blessing Let the eyes of my soul be always open to thee in prayer and prayse before the eyes of my body be shut And O be thou always pleased so to accept my confessions petitions thanksgivings my person and performances in thy dear son that I may lay me down in peace and sleep because thou Lord makest me to dwell in safety Finally I Wish that every day of my life may be spent as if it were the day of my death and all my time employed in adorning my soul in trimming my lamp and in a serious preparation for eternity Whilst I am living I am dying every moment my sand is running and my Sun is declining I am as Stubble before the Wind and as
teeth that it eateth out the heart of the strongest timber Flattery is to sin what Oyl to Fire it makes it flame the more O t is dangerous to speak peace where God speaks war shouldst thou do so the blood of such a soul would be required at thy hands Ezek. 33.8 Jer. 23. Faithful dealing will bring thee in most comfort at present and most credit hereafter as also be most advantagious to the sick person When the great day comes the man that hated flattery and scorned for a little profit or favour to disown his duty or prove false to the soul of his Neighbour will hold up his head with courage but the cowardly and fearful wil hang down their heads with shame Rev. 21. 8. 4. Pray with him and for him Sick persons are often full of pain and grief and are more then usually assaulted by Satan whereby they are the less able to pray for themselves and have the more need of the prayers of others It s observable that though the Holy Ghost commandeth men in other afflictions to pray themselves Is any afflicted let him Pray yet when he mentioneth sickness he saith not Is any sick let him Pray But Is any sick let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him Jam. 5. 13 14. i. e. A sick man is not so fit to pray himself he wanteth others to pray for him and with him The soul sympathizeth in the sufferings of the body and the inner man is seldom at rest if the outward man be distempered and disquieted The mind is unfitted for duties by the diseases of the flesh Paul calls his bodily weaknesses a temptation Gal. 4. 13 14. Afflictions on the flesh are temptations to the spirit and sickness is a piercing Arrow in Satans Quiver of temptations If the person be carnal what Motives hast thou from his misery to quicken thee to the duty The poor creature is going to Hell and knoweth it not His destruction is near and he is not aware How should the thoughts of that extremity and eternity of torments which he is every moment liable to stir thee up to be earnest and instant with God on his behalf It may be thou wouldst sit up a whole night to watch with him for the comfort of his body Dost thou not know that the soul is infinitely more worth O watch and pray that he enter not into eternal condemnation Thou art not ignorant that God hath made promises of grace as well as promises to grace and canst not tell but that grace waiteth in heaven for the â—ick person onely thy prayer must be the messenger to fetch it thence God hath shewn mercy at the last he can do it to this man therefore thou mayst have the more hopes Besides it may be his sickness shall not be unto death but onely to heal his diseased soul and so to give him a new life both natural and spiritual The Question before thee is whether that poor sick creatures soul shall be Christs or the Devils for ever and wilt thou not plead hard with God that it may be thrown in to Christ whose title is unquestionable and that the Grand and Arch-enemy of Christ and Men may be frustrated and disappointed in his expectation Zeal to the advancement of thy Redeemers interest and love to the soul of thy Neighbour should actuate and animate thy requests and put life and fervency into thy Petitions If the sick man be godly thou hast the more encouragement to pray God hath promised as much to him as thou canst rationally desire for him He hath hopes to speed that goeth to an honest able man and sheweth him his Bond for what he demands God is infinite both in righteousness and power so that there is no fear of a repulse if you can shew his hand for your request He delights to hear his promises pleaded in prayer and to see his Children so full of affection as to be fervent in their petitions for each other Thou mayst send the same message by prayer to Jesus that the Sister of Lazarus did Lord behold he whom thou lovest is sick and mayst be confident of the like gracious answer This sickness is not unto death eternal but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby Next to thy endeavours for the good of thy sick Neighbours spiritual estate it will be fit to advise him about his temporal estate that he may dispose of his worldly affairs and his wealth if God have given him any with wisdom and settle things so firmly that his Relations may not be wrangling for his goods when his body is at rest in his grave Secondly The exercising our selves to Godliness in visiting the sick consisteth in getting good to our own souls by it Though it be forbidden us to enquire of the dead and ask their counsel yet it s commanded us to enquire of the dying and to learn of them Sick men may teach them that are in health many excellent lessons Some say that ground covered with Ashes is made thereby the more fruitful The Dust of the dead falling upon a right soil an honest heart will make it the more abundant in holiness A Christian findeth walking in Hospitals or Church-yards among the sick or dying much conducing to the health and life of his soul. He that was cast dead into his Grave by touching the bones of dead Elisha he was ravished to life That which Elias said to Elisha when he begged a double portion of his spirit If thou seest me when I am taken from thee it shall be so unto thee may fitly be alluded to in this place The sight of others sickness and death and their departures from us is a great means to increase the spirit in us and to double our care and diligence in preparing for such an hour 1. In laying to heart thine own frailty He is but a cold clod of clay and dead already who doth not see his own death in the death of others Sickness is but one remove from death the sick bed is the way to the coffin therefore when thou visitest the sick or dying reflect upon thy self and consider This will be my case or a worse a violent stroak The same enemy that encountred my Neighbour is upon his march towards me and will certainly overtake me The feet of them that carry my friend to his grave are ready to carry me also what need have I to be always in a dying frame and ready for death The very next arrow that death shoots may be levelled at me and shall not I stand always upon my guard in expectation of it and armed for it O how deep will the head of that Arrow pierce me if it find me naked 2. In considering Gods mercy to thee and blessing him for the health thou enjoyest The pain of others will tell thee that ease is a mercy the racking sickness and restless nights
concern thee to watch Consider 1. His Power Your adversary the Devil It is not a weak man but a mighty Devil Thou art not called to wrestle with flesh and blood but Principalities and powers Is man a match for a Devil or a stripling nodding fit to enter the Lists with Goliah What is a Pigmie to a Giant or a a dying creature to the Prince of the powers of the air Had David been asleep when the Lion out of the wood came against him the Lion had sooner tore him by the throat then he had taken the Lion by the beard The cobweb may as soon withstand the broom in the maids hand and the dust oppose the force of a violent wind as a nodding secure Christian the temptations of Satan 2. His Policy Seeking whom he may devour Had our enemy strength without craft there were not so much danger nor cause of vigilancy but when he hath seven heads as well as ten horns and exceeds us in subtilty as much as in power it concerneth us to be watchful He that playeth with a cunning Fencer will heed his wards the more Reader the Devil hath a shrewd guess what Dalilah is most likely to entice thee and deprive thee of thy spiritual strength and if amongst all the uncircumcised there be any that will fit thee thou shalt not want her He hath not walked too and fro in the earth so long for nothing but he knoweth what weeds will take best and thrive most in the soil of thy heart be confident he will help thee both to the seeds and plants of them The subtle serpent that could wind himself into Paradise knoweth surely how to wind himself into thee If he were too crafty for man when he was perfect much more is he for man polluted And can such a strong politick foe be resisted when thou art lazing upon thy bed of security 3. His Industry Your adversary the Devil goeth about He is a diligent servant never from your elbow As Ioseph's Mistris when denied still sollicited and Sampsons Harlot pressed him with continual importunity night and day that his very soul was vexed unto death So the Devil serveth men he will never forsake them but follow them with his darts and assaults till they are safe in heaven from hiâ— or safe in hell with him He is called the Prince of the powers of the air and his Angels spiritual Wickednesses in high places the air is the seat of his Empire and truly as ravenous foul hover up and doâ—n in the air to catch and kill little chickens and though they be frighted away by any one yet they lye near at the catch and the person is no sooner gone but they are descending to destroy them So those infernal spirits are hovering up and down walking too and fro to defile and destroy souls and though they are resisted and foiled yet they impudently continue their former endeavours to undo us Now hath he any time for sleep that is every moment in such danger 4. His Cruelty As a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour The Lions of the Forrest have no pitty Lest he tear my soul like a Lion renting it in peices Psal. 7.2 The Lions brake the bones of Daniels accusers before they came to the bottom of the Den But the Lions of hell have much less pity his tender mercies are cruelties indeed it is not the loss of thy life but of thy soul and thy God and thy Christ and that for ever which he looks after The racking of thy body and renting thy bones is nothing to the flames and whips and torments which he makes men suffer and that not for a day or week or year or age but to all eternity Reader is there not infinite reason for watchfulness Had not the Apostle ground enough for his precept Be sober be vigilant when our adversary is so strong a Devil so sedulous going about so cruel as a roaring Lion and so crafty seeking by all means whom he may devour Yet alas this is not all Go where we will we see abundant cause to look well to our feet Every place we come into is a net to ensnare us we cannot look out of our eyes but we see a baited hook nor open our ears but we hear the Syrens songs we cannot put forth our hands but we touch pitch nor set our feet but in the midst of nets every part of the body is a Iudas a Traytor to the soul. Our crosses and afflictions if we be secure will be to us as the Goal to a prisoner filling us with Vermine Our greatest earthly comforts if we be not watchful prove but like traps set for vermine pleasant and killing When the world sings most sweetly in our ears she doth but like Orpheus with his pipe endeavour to lead us by the ears into unquenchable flames Theives with provender in their hands catch horses to steal them The world allures our hearts by its pleasures and profits and steals them from God Our own hearts are Iacobs Supplanters of us deceitful and desperately wicked As the water-foul in Friezland will decoy other wilde foul in a net and then give a watchword to their Master to seise on them so officious will our own hearts be to the Devil And shall we not watch and pray that we enter not into temptation Sleep is the great Leveller which makes all equal The strongest Sampson is as liable in his sleep to be slain as the smallest infant When a deep sleep from the Lord had seised on Saul and his Souldiers how easily might David if he had pleased have killed them He took away Sauls Spear and Cruse of Water to assure him that he could have taken away his life Ah! how soon may the Devil or World or Flesh defile deceive and destroy a sleeping soul Bees that have many enemies Mice Spiders Drones Hornets Birds and Beasts never dare say Naturalists to give themselves to security but night and day have their Scouts and Centinels and Corp-du-guard to keep watch and ward lest some of their many enemies should on a sudden surprise them The Christian may learn this duty from such creatures Spiders weave their Cobwebs near the Flowers where the Bees use to gather and also just over the passage out of their Hives that so at their going out but especially at their comming in laden and weary they may catch them and make a prey of them David saith In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me So mayst thou Reader say In the way wherein I daily walk doth Satan privily lay Baits to catch me at my Table in my Closet in my Shop in my Bed in the Streets in all places where I go he hath laid snares for my soul. If there be a snare and such danger in all things then let me advise thee if thou woulst avoid them in the words of Paul to Timothy Watch thou in all things 2 Timoth. 4. 5.
a Bee though the Bee be fled works it self into the flesh deeper and diffuseth its venome more strongly causing the greater pain that every man unless foolish will speedily pull it out lest he encrease his own anguish Truly so doth sin though the honey the pleasure of it be gone yet the sting remains and the longer it is before it is pulled out by Faith and Repentance the deeper it works it self into the soul and the more sorrow it will put us to in this or the other world T is examination at night that brings the soul to mourn for and repent of its failings in the day T is like the tree which Câ—esias speaks of in describing India that besides fruit distilleth certain tears of which are made Precious Amber or as the drops of the Vine its excellent against the leprousie of sin Ephesus would never repent till they examined and considered whence they had fallen When sin is admitted into the soul and as a Theif in the night stole in at unawares when the eye of the souls watchfulness was fallen asleep Examination will light the Candle of the word and search the house narrowly and find out this ill guest and before it hath done so much mischief as it intended apprehended it indict condemn and execute it Examination every day is like purging the body at the beginning of a distemper which takes it before it hath habituated it self and so is much the more easily repelled An enemy may much sooner be forced out of his holds when he hath newly taken possession then when he hath continued so long as to cast up his banks make his ditches placed his Guns and fortified them After we have been foiled by our spiritual enemies and by examination find out the cause it will make us more watchful at that gate at which they enter'd and careful of that particular wherein they got the advantage of us As when David had received intelligence that the Amonites had given his Army some small defeat he sends Ioab word of the reason they went too near the City and wisheth him to make the battel more strong against the place 2 Sam. 11. So examination finds out the reason of a Christians defeat by Satan either it was through self-confidence or want of spiritual watchfulness or love to some known sin and helpeth the Saint to bewail the cause of his defeat and directeâ—h him how to provide better against the next onset Frequent examination keepeth the conscience raw and tender that the least touch of sin will be offensive and troublesom to it When the heart is used to yeild at a small Willow it will never be quiet under a great Oak Searching into our souls makes sin more loathsom to us Whilst these filthy sinks are unstir'd they do but little disturb us or annoy us with their filthy savour but when by examination we rake into them their noysom stench offendeth us extremely and shews us what need we have of cleansing Examination every night will help the Christian to a good nights rest How comfortably may he lye down who hath made all even with his Maker and heard his everlasting Father bidding him Good-night How quietly may he sleep who hath his pardon under his Pillow he needs not fear any Officer to call him up at midnight and attach him for any treasons or misdemeanours It s said of Cato that constantly at evening he would call to mind what ever he had seen read or done that day It was Pythagoras rule to his Scholars That they should no night suffer sleep to seise their senses till they had three times recalled the accidents and passages of the day O what a shame is it that Moralists who had no true sense of the benefit of such a duty should out-go the Christian in the performance of it That many persons should know the Chronicles of other Countries or Kingdoms some ages past and yet not know the passages of their own souls one day past Reader If thou wouldst walk closely with God and keep even with him reckon daily with him Call thy self to a strict scrutiny What do I how live I where am I is the work I do warrantable by the word or no is my life the life of Faith of Holiness or no am I in Gods way under his protection or no Have I truth of grace the power of godliness or do I please my self with the form of it Do I thrive and increase in grace or do I decay and decline Suppose I were to dye this night what ground have I to hope for Heaven what assurance that I shall escape the power and rage of frightful Devils What evidences have I that I am a new creature engrafted into Christ and thereby entitled to life and bliss Thus feel the pulse of thy soul enquire into its state visit it often and see how it doth Call thy self to an account for thy sins Let heart and life sins open and private sins omissions commissions personal relative be all reckoned for Ask thy soul as Rebecah Why am I thus Why am I so false to my God so unfaithful to my Covenants The heart is like a Ditch into which filth is continually running and therefore it behoveth thee by examination to be always emptying it The Stable that is daily fowled must be daily cleansed The hands that are daily contracting dirt must be daily washed Our souls are more polluted and diseased then our bodies we have always a filthy issue of sin running which we must be daily searching into and dressing or our stench will make us loathsom to and unfit for any communion with God or his people Call thy self to an account daily for thy mercies Ask thy self How much am I indebted to my God what privative what positive mercies do I partake of what old what new what night what day mercies what mercies at home what abroad what personal what domestical what national mercies do I enjoy or am a sharer in what bodily what spiritual mercies do I receive what time what talents have I to trade with and reckon for This will help the soul to be speedy and hearty in thankfulness and force it to Davids Interrogation What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits What hot love should I return what an holy life should I lead Do this daily It is much better to pay sums when they are little then when they are large Wise men that are able find it the best way to pay ready money for their wares Neglect herein causeth many mistakes and inconveniencies and many times differences amongst friends Having spoken to this particular in the sixth Chapter I shall say no more to it here though indeed I judge it next to a new nature not inferiour to any means of godliness Ninthly If thou wouldst exercise thy self to godliness Avoid the occasions of sin he that would avoid the commission of sin must avoid the occasions of sin If we
Treatise A CHristians should Admonish one another 285 How ibid. Afflictions tend to a Christians advantage 814,815 Anger resteth in the bosome of fools 44,45 B Backbiting to be avoided 271 The great danger and evil of it 272 to 275 A Backbiter wounds three wiâ—h one arrow 274 Christians must bear with one another 288 A threefold burthen Christians must bear for each other 289 Their Civil Spiritual and Natural burthens ibid. The Beasts of the field may teach men 453 Beasts teach man six lessons Thankefulness to God Dependance on God The dread of God Diligence in our callings Innocency Wisdom 453 454 Birds of the Air teach man eight Lessonsâ— 454 to 457 Christians must use a conscience in buying 17 C CHristians should be diligent in their particular Callings 511 Christians must avoid censuring 266 The great evil of censuring 267 How to apply our selves to civil men in sickness 577 Saints must be careful in the choice of their Companions 90 133 The benefit of Company 86 87 to 90 138 139 The great danger of evil Company to draw men to sin 9â— to 95. 133 to 135 to draw men to suffering 95 to 99 136 The Great advantage of good Company 98 to 101. 241 to 247 A mans Company will discover him 101 102 139 Christians should Company with them that are godly 109,110,140,141 because they are godly 116,117 Whether a Christian may not be more intimate with some godly Companions then others 119 Two Cautions about it 120,121 Christians should endeavour the spiritual good of their Companions 121 to 125,182 Saints may sometimes use but should not chuse the Company of sinners 109,110 Objections against it answered 124 to 128 Evil Company infectioâ—sâ— 156 157 Saints may be the better for evil Company when they are called to it 158 159 177 Wherein 179 to 182 Christians must guard their souls in evil Company 160,161 not needlesly expose themselves to sufferings 167 Saints must not disown Christ in any Company 172 to 175 Saints should endeavour the Conversion of sinners 182 183 How 183 to 189 By good Company pious souls have been confirmed 245 Erring Saints recovered ibid. Dull Christians quickened 246 Much sin prevented 248 Christians must watch themselves in good Company â—62 What sins Saints are most prone to in good Company 263 The Communion of Saints the most excellent Communion 236 250 257 Wherein the Communion of Saints consisteth 275 In a mutual communication of their gifts and graces ibid. In joyning in the Ordinances of God ibid. In serviceableness each to other 276 Wherein 280 to 287 A Contented spirit a great help to godlinessâ— 809 Nine Arguments to Contentedness in the most afflicted condition 813 Christians should receive Counsel 301 Penitent Christians should be comforted 283 It s a duty to be courteous 39 Courtesie is an ornament to Christianity 40,41 D EVery day to be begun with duty 496 Arguments to it ib. to 499 Christians should exercise themselves to godliness in their dealings with all men 5 It s a sign of hypocrisie to be careless in dealings with men 7 to 10 The credit of Religion is much engaged in our Dealings with others 11 to 14 In our dealings with others we must be righteous 15 Courteous 39 Meek 42 The Principle of a Christian in his dealings must be gracious 51 52 The end of a Christian in his dealings must be minded 53 54 A daily performance of holy duties to be minded 756 The necessity and benefit of daily duties 757 to 760 Christians should exercise themselves to Godliness on a dying bed 611,612 What it is to dye in the Lord. 612 Three things in it ib. In what respects Christ was obedient to the death 6â—5 Death is a serious thing 619 Death will try men 620 At death man is stated for eternity 622 Satan is busie to assault at death ib. 623 A death bed is a special season to honour God 624 It s the last opportunity 627 How Christians should honour God on a dying bed 628 In commending God and godliness to others 629 In commending our selves to God 633 In praying for our Relations the Church our Benefactours and our Enemies 634 to 637 In exercising grace on a dying bed 637 What graces Saints should especially exercise on a dying bed Faith Courage Repentance Charity Patience 637 to 647 Our whole life should be a preparation for Death 633 634 In what respects or how a Saint may dye with comfort 658 to 662 Meditation of death a special help to holiness 745 to 753 The great mischif of discontent 811 812 E CHristians must spiritualize earthly things 372,373 Several examples hereof 374 to 380 The earth teacheth man four lessons 457 Earthly things unsutable unsatisfying vexatious deceitful and uncertain 828 to 840 Ejaculations profitable 435 Christians must look to their ends in their actions 53 54 Frequent Examination of our selves and our ways a duty 523 786 The great advantage thereof 524 to 727.781 to 786 Examples helpful to encourage us heaven-ward 841 F FAith necessary if we would exercise our selves unto godliness 706 The excellency of Faith 707 Faith destroyeth sin 708 Overcometh the world 712 Faith overcometh the affrightments of the World 713 714 Faith overcometh the allurements of the world 716 717 Faith enableth to overcome Satan 720 the flesh 722 Faith deriveth grace from Christ. 724 Faith sets all other graces at work 725 Faith makes Ordinances profitable 727 Nine Questions to them that neglect Family duties 508 to 511 Fear sinful when 179 There can be no true Friendship betwixt a godly and a wicked man 105 to 108 Who is thy best friend 303 345 G SEtting God always before our eyes a great help to godliness 729 to 737 The knowledge of God a great help to holiness 801 to 809 Gods Omniscience 493 494 Gods Patience Vide Patience Gods word Vide word Means whereby Christians may exercise themselves to Godliness 695. Vide Means Godliness the most excellent Calling 844 The most honourable ib. The most comfortable 849 The most profitable Calling 858 Twelve serious thoughts to quicken all to Exercise themselves to Godliness Vide Epistle to the Reader H THe heart the great work-house of thoughts words and actions 698 The necessity of a new heart in all that would make religion their business 699 700 The heart of man backward to good 255 prone to evil 364 must be watched 369 Holiness is honourable 844 Humility an help to holiness 792 The Excellency of humility 793 794 Vnrighteousness a sign of Hypocrisie 7 8 I THe evil of Idleness 820 The great mischief of Ignorance 806 The Ignorant should be instructed 280 281 A serious consideration of the day of judgement a special help to godliness 765 Dreadfulness of the day of judgement to wicked men 767 776 The day of judgement will be comfortable to Saints 772 Their godliness will be mentioned ibid. Their names vindicated 773 Persons publiquely acquitted ib. Their happiness will be perfected 774 Justice to what resembled 39
10. Motives to frequent good company The good of good Company Fulk Meteor lib. 4. In vit * In the same sense that the Poet speaks Aâ—ri sacra fames or as mons is so called a non movendo 2 Motive Wicked men joyn together 3 Motive The backwardness of our own hearts 4 Motive The evil of neglecting Christian Communion 1 Take heed of thoâ—e sins which good mâ—n are prone to when they meet together 1 Mispending time 2 In censuring the good Qui judicat fratrem tantum crimen elationâ—s incurrit ut Christi tribunal sibi videatur assumâ—â—e ejus judicium praeâ—enire Ans. in Rom. 14. Luther gives the Character of wicked men Tanquam fameliâ—i porâ—i immergunt se in sterâ—ora nostra ex iis delicias â—aciunt cum infirmitatem nostram exemple malâ—dict aperiunt traducunt Lut. in Gen. 9. Detractor â—ubens aâ—ditor uterque diabolum portat alter in ore alter in aure Bern. 2 Be serviceable to others Ephes. 4. 16. Si amici sunt quo sâ—m alter ita dives alter ita pauper â—en Epist. 8. Quanto plus prosundimus fluentorum bonorum spiritualâ—um tanto nâ—hiâ— fluenta sunt auctiora Non enim in hac causa contingit sicut in pâ—cuniis Illic enim quanto plus expendit tanto plus pâ—ssidet pecuniae hic autem plane secus agitur Chrys. Hom. 8. in Gen. p. 37. Prov. 17. 17. 2 Thes. 3. 11. Perrigit panem ut â—ilâ—at Vt malus sermoâ— inducit in peccatumâ— siâ— malum silentium relinquit in peccatoâ— August In Quat Noviss Rom. 12. 15. Heb. 3. 3. Cyprian de patâ—ent 3 Christians must receive good in good company Sir W. Râ—wl Hist. World l. 4. c. 4. Prov. 29. 1. Pâ—ov 21. 24. Prov. 27. 6. 4 Christians should rejoyce in each others graces Plutarâ—hâ— The Introduction Motives to mind the Communion of Saints 1. The profit of Christian Society 1 Cor. 6. â—â— 2 Motive Wicked men joyn togethâ—r 2 Motive The evil of needless solitariness 4 Motive The backwardnesâ— of our hearts Caution in good company 1 Beware of those sinâ— that good men are too guilty of when they meet together 1 In spending time vainly 2 In censuring the good 3 In backbiting the bad 2 Christians should be serviceable to each other 1 Pet. 4. 10. Châ—istians must be serviceable 1. In instructing the ignorant 2 In bearing with one anothers inâ—irmâ—ties 3 In comâ—orting the sorrowful 4 In reproving the sinful 3 Christians should endeavour to receive what good they can from each other 1 In receiving counsel 2 In accepting a reproof 4 To rejoyce in each others wâ—lfare The Conclusion Rev. 7. Suetonius Motives 1. The benefit of solitude Quando secrete dâ—us erat in tabernaculo Vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 2 Motive The danger of neglect Seâ— Epist. 10. Isa. 34. 11. 3 Motive It will be some evidence of uprightness Wherein the exercising our selves to godliness in solitude consisteth 1 In keeping away vain thoughtâ—â— Quid trâ—lesâ— solitudo corporis si non est solitudo cordis Greg. Hoâ— 7. 9. 2 In spiritualizing natural things Luth. Declam Popular de Terti Precept Tom. 1. Nâ—â— est â—llum animalâ—ulum tam exiguum in quo non â—lâ—s disâ—ere possimuâ— quam in omnibus sâ—ulâ—tis pictis aut â—asâ—â— simâ—laâ—bris Lavat Every creature saâ—th Bernard hath this voyce Qâ—â— secit mâ— propter te sâ—â—it tâ— propter se. Cant 7. 11. Isa. 40.6 3 Mind solemn and set meditations The Subject matter of meditation The word of God The first part of meditation Cogitation of the word First In it Câ—uses 1 It s principal efficient Cause The Spirit of God John 7. 46. 2 It s instrumental Cause Eminent Saints 3 The Material Cause 3 The formal cause of it 1 Inward 2 Outward 4 The final cause Joh. 7. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 6. 2 Tiâ— 1. 9. 2 In its properties Psa. 119. 142. Joh. 17. 17 Dan. 10. ult Eccles. 12. 10. Col. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 19 Gal. 1. 8 2 Pet. 1. 19 Luk. 16. 31 John 3. â—lt 3 In its names and titles a John 10. 35. b Matth. 22.29 c 1 Pet. 1.15 d 2 Tim. 3.15 e Ephes. 1.9 f Ephes. 3.9 g Prov. 20.17 h James 1 25. i Rom. 3.27 k Psal. 19.7 l James 1. 8. m Josh. 1.8 n Isa. 34. 16. o 2 King 22.8 p Ephes. 1.16 q Rom. 1. 1. r Acts 20.24 s Acts 20 27. t 1 Kings 2. 3. u Job 37. 10. x Jer. 9. 12 y Deut. 29. 12. z Acts 7.38 a Micah 6. 9. b Prov 8.14 c Rom 10.14 d Luke 10. ult e Matth 16.19 f Luke 11. 52. g Luke 2.10 h Isa 52.7 i 1 Sam. 13. 23 k Psalm 101.2 l Matth 7. 13. 4 In itâ— comparisons Application Resolution Aâ—nsw on Psa. 3. 2. The Introduction Motives to exercise our selves to godliness in solitude 1. The advantage which a Christian may reap by solitude 2 Motive The danger of carelesness in solitude 3 Motive T is a good sign of sincerity Wherein godliness consisteth in solitude 1 By watching against sinful and vain thoughts 2 Spiritualize natural things 3 Be frequent in deliberate meditations An example oâ— set meditation The subject of meditatâ—on The Patience of God 1 The nature of it Patience amplified towards sinners 1 In that God hates sin 2 The coâ—dition of sinners Mr Boltoâ— 1 Cor 11. 31. Rom. 9. 22. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Isa. 30. 18. Gen. 6. 3. 1 Pet. 3.20 Testimonies Exod. 32. Pâ—alm 103. 8. Applicat Rev. 13. Chap 21 22 1 Pet. 1. 17. 1 Motive Every day may be our last day 2 Motive God observeth us all the day long An nescis O homo quod primitias cordis vocis deo debeas occurre ergo ad sulis ortum sol oriens inveniat te jam paratum Amb. in Psal. 119 Serm 19 Melâ—h Adam in â—it Luth. Christian mâ—â—â— Calling 1. Paâ—â— Chap. 23. Valer l. 6. c. 1. Dâ—rections for walking with God p. 49. Prov. 5. 10 to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rursus emo Metaphora sumpta a mercatoribus Beza Labitur occulte fallitque volubilis aetas Ovid. Metam l. 10. Sen. de brevit vit cap. 1. Sen de Irae l. 3. c. 36. Desinet ira crit moderatior quae sâ—ietâ—s â—i quotidie ad Iudicem esse veniendum Qualis ille somnus post recogâ—tionem sui sequitur quam trinquillus c. Idem ibid. Idem ibid. The Introduction Motives Every day may be thy last day 2 Motive Gods eye is on thee all the day loâ—g Wherein the exercising our selves to godliness on a week-day consisteth 1 In beginning tâ—e day with God 2 Spend the greatest part of the day in thy particular calling 3 Be watchful all the day 1 Sam. 19. 11. 4 Redeem time 5 Call thy self to account 6 Mind evening duties